Learning to Thrive
by justcrazykids
Summary: I have no one left. My closest family, they're all gone. I only have my sweet Prim now and I'll be damned if I let her go too. I have to fight, I have to survive, and above everything, I have to thrive. I must go against the odds and beat them. They can't win again. And maybe I won't be alone in fighting. Maybe I'll have a partner. A friend. Eventual G/K ; T-Language ; Starts PreHG
1. Cruel Normality

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 1:

Cruel Normality

When I wake, I feel unrested. As usual, the nightmares haunt me and force me to wake far too early. Actually when you live in the Seam and hardly ever get a decent meal, you can never wake too early. There's always something you could be doing to earn money or food.

Deciding that sleep will never return to me and it wouldn't be very beneficial if it did, I get out of my small bed that I share with my sister Prim. I try to be careful of the small sleeping girl, only inches away. She needs her rest and I can only hope that she dreams of happier things than I. Long ago I decided that since I'll never get to experience a good childhood, I can at least do everything in my power to make sure that she does.

I'm successful in not awakening her and I mentally applaud myself. I make my way to the small living room of our small wooden shack. My father has undoubtedly already left for the mines, but my brother is still home. I find him sitting on the shabby couch, tying his hunting boots.

"Hey Kat," he greets me as I step into view. "Couldn't sleep?"

I can _never_ actually get a good night of rest, but I don't confide this to anybody. Not even my brother who's easily the closest person to me. I suspect that he already knows, however. He's most likely plagued by similar nightmares.

"Nope. Going hunting?" I ask, although I already know the answer. Derain always goes hunting early in the mornings and right after school. Between Derain's hunting and my father's pay, our family usually has enough to live off of.

He nods his head. "Care to join me?" he questions, smiling at me.

Hunting has just recently become my favorite past time. Just a few months prior, my father and Derain had taken me out into the woods beyond District 12. They taught me the art of the bow and arrow, which I quickly caught on to. I take after my dad, as does my brother; therefore, we inherited the knack for shooting. So when Derain asks me this I say smiling back, "Of course."

We walk through the Seam and to the fence that separates District 12 from the wilderness. Derain and I talk very little on our journey there, not wanting to be heard by Peacekeepers that may be nearby. He slides under the fence that is _supposed_ to be electrified 24/7 and I follow behind him.

We easily find the hollow trees in which we keep our bows and arrows. Derain holds a large bow, while I hold a smaller one. Both were made by our extremely crafty father and are undoubtedly perfect. We sling the sheath of arrows onto our backs in sync and our hunt begins.

It's not long before I hear the familiar sound of an arrow whizzing toward the trees. Instantly, a plump squirrel falls from a high branch, an arrow pointing directly out of its forehead. Derain's skill never ceases to amaze me and I can only hope that one day I can be just as good of a shot as him.

I look to Derain and see him beaming at his first kill of the day. I grin at him as he walks towards the kill and throws it in our game bag. Okay, now it's _my_ turn.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something moving in a bush. I turn quickly, bow loaded, and look towards the sound. A lynx emerges with a squirrel in its mouth. I smile at the distinct possibility of getting _two_ kills in one hit. And the fact that lynxes are rich in meat and that their pelt can be worth very good money.

The creature sees me as it emerges, but before it can run, it is impaled by my arrow; a clean shot through the neck. It's not nearly as good as Derain's usual forehead hit or my father's shot that always hits directly through the eye,(which constantly leaves me in awe) but it's still a good hit.

Derain is beside me within a second of firing. He smiles down at me and we run to the dead lynx. I remove my arrow from the beast's neck and wipe it off in the grass while Derain takes a look at lynx's squirrel.

"Two in one, Kat," he says looking from the squirrel, to the lynx, and then to me. "We'll be dining like Capitolites for a day."

I smirk at him, knowing that our unusually large dinner will be the closest thing we will ever get to something as extravagant as a Capitol-provided dinner. "Maybe I'll get Prim some green hair dye so she can look like Effie Trinket."

We both laugh at the thought of Prim having green hair, and the outrageous looking woman named Effie Trinket, who serves as the District 12 escort for the annual Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games. Even the thought of them can shift my entire mood. This will be my first Reaping and my brother's last. I'm terrified for the both of us, but even more so for him. If my family lost Derain we could potentially starve, but losing him would hurt me far more than that. Derain is the person that I can relate to above everyone else and he is my confident. We have the ideal brother-sister relationship.

If he were to get Reaped, I have no idea what I would do. I don't know how I would provide for our family because it's for certain that the measly money my father gets from long hours in the mines would not cut it. Derain's hunting alongside my father's earnings, assures that we at least have enough food to survive.

I would most likely have to start hunting every day, something that I wouldn't mind if there wouldn't be as much pressure to come home with a loaded game bag. The pressure wouldn't pay off even, there's no way in hell that I could come home with nearly as much game as Derain does. My father would probably have to extend his already-too-long hours at the mines. Even then we would all probably starve, slowly but surely. The thought is gut-wrenching so I cast it from my mind.

Derain and I continue hunting for another 2 or-so hours and return home with three squirrels, a few birds, and my lynx. We trade the birds at the Hob, and then squirrel at the bakery. We trudge back to the Seam to begin to ready ourselves for school. "Derain?" I start.

"Yeah, Kat?" he responds.

I bite my lip, praying for his answer to be within my liking, despite that I already know that it won't be. "How many times is you name in for the Reaping?"

He looks down for a moment and then responds. "Forty-two."

My eyes widen and Derain can't meet my eyes. I knew it would be high, but not _that_ damn high! "What?" I say breathlessly.

"Relax Kat, I wo-" I don't let him finish.

"Forty-two? What if you get picked? What's gonna happen? You're going to die and we're going to starve!" I shout exasperatedly.

He just looks at me, probably thinking of some way to calm me and keep me from exploding any more. I already know that any attempts to put my mind at ease won't work. There's just too much uncertainty. Derain seems to realize this so he just continues walking, not meeting my furious gaze.

We remain silent for the rest of the walk home. I need time before I can speak or I might blow up again. Derain seems to be deep in thought, staring only directly in front of him with blank eyes.

At home we put away everything that we've caught or traded in its appropriate location. I head to my room that I share with both Prim and Derain, and find an outfit for school. I dress in plain black pants and a green tee, after washing the dirt, blood, and sweat from my face, hands, and arms. Prim wakes as I return to the room to fetch my boots.

"Morning Little Duck," I say with a small smile. "Have a good sleep?" She smiles back without hesitation and nods tiredly.

I tie up my boots and return to the living room. Derain is there, dressed in similar black pants and a grey shirt. He motions for me to come with him and I hesitantly follow him. He's probably going to make an effort to try to ease my mind even though he should know that it's hopeless.

He leads me to our porch and closes the door behind him. He starts on immediately, "Katniss, if I get picked, you will find a way to get by." The amount of confidence and _pride _is unreal, but comforting in a way. "You're strong; I know that you'll do anything and everything to make it."

"But Der-" I start.

"No Katniss. You. Can. Make. It." His blue eyes bore into my grey ones with fiery intensity. "Besides, there are thousands of names in there. I'm almost positive that it won't be me."

His intense gaze and confidence is enough to reassure me, but I can't help but worrying anyway. Derain can see my doubt; he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. "Besides, if it _is _me, I'll be coming back."

Derain's face changes at that, from a look of intense confidence, to one of cockiness and pride. He smiles sheepishly, but I know that he truly believes he could win. Honestly, I believe that he could too, if the odds were ever in a District 12 tribute's favor.

I've obviously lost the argument so I sigh in defeat. "You'd better be right."

"Come on Kat, you need to have more confidence and trust in me." He flashes me an arrogant smile and we head back inside.

Prim is there waiting on us, wearing a blue dress that compliments her blue eyes. Her looks are so different than those of usual Seam kids. She takes after my mother, who grew up in the richer part of town. Derain and I take after our father, who has lived in the Seam all of his life.

The three of us set off for our school, which lies within town. We make it there in decent time and part ways to our respective classrooms.

I can't be bothered much with school. I complete my assignments and receive decent marks, but school is a waste of time in my opinion. All there is to learn about is the past Hunger Games and the history of our 'great nation' of Panem. None of it is knowledge that can benefit us in our everyday lives.

I go through my morning classes without really paying attention. I mostly think of what Derain told me this morning. Could he _really_ make it out of the games? Of course he could, he's the strongest person I've ever seen and he'd have more of a reason to return than anybody else. But then there are the Careers, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4, who almost always win. They're strong from training for their entire lives. Could he stand a chance against them?

But what's the chance of one of his forty-two slips getting pulled out of the thousands of others? Slim, but possible. If Derain is confident that he won't get picked, then I should be too. I just need to have confidence in his words…

The room is clearing and kids are running from the room. I figure that the teacher has just dismissed class for lunch, so I slowly pack my things and stand. That's when I hear the sirens.

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**A/N HEY GUYS HOW YA DOIN. Ok, I've been gone for a longgggggggggg time and I'm really sorry for that, but I've had writers block and a lot of school work and exams. -x- FINALLY things are starting to calm down, and I'm able to write again, so I'm starting a new story! **

**Some things you might notice:**

**Derain. Yeah, I gave Katniss a brother! :D The idea just popped into my head and it seemed original and ... PERFECT. I'll be elaborating on him a bit more in the coming chapters.**

**I'm starting reallllllly early before THG even starts. I just want to get some background info in and frankly, everything after THG kind of depresses me. :,c **

**WHERE TF IS GALE, YOU PROMISED ME GALE. Don't stress, Gale will appear a lot more as the story goes on. ;D**

**Yeah that's all. (: I'll be updating very frequently for a few chapters, just because the first few chapters are kind of boring and I want to get to the good stuff!**

**Thank you if you've read to the bottom of this longass A/N! Review and leave me comments and criticism(:**


	2. We Always Manage

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 2:

We Always Manage

My breath is caught in my throat and I stop dead in my tracks. I couldn't have just heard that. They use sirens down at the mines to signal a problem. And by problem, they mean an explosion. Sirens continue blaring and I'm still frozen.

My dad. The mines. Sirens. Explosion. The mines. My dad. I can't think clearly, but then it clicks. My dad is in the mines that just exploded. My dad may be dead or dying. At that, I break into a sprint.

My heart is pounding and I will myself to move faster. I run past the other Seam kids that are heading in the direction of the mines. Most are crying, but some are just… blank. I can imagine that that is how I look right about now, alongside frantic.

I make it to the entrance of the mines as many other people, kids, parents, and spouses arrive. I look for Derain, Prim, my mother, _anybody_. Nobody from my family is there yet, nor is anyone that I can place a name to.

Within a few minutes, the entrance of the mines is starting to get crowded. Finally Derain appears with a sobbing Prim in his arms. I run to him and he puts his free arm around me. I hug him tightly, looking for some sort of comfort.

The three of us stand there hugging for a while and my mom eventually finds us. I notice that she, like so many others, is blank. Unlike her, I hold onto the belief that my father will be emerging from the mines shortly.

The elevator used to carry men up and down to the mines is being put into overdrive. Each time it emerges, there are more men who have been spared and more families that are whole again. Any hope I had is vanishing as the elevator brings up fewer and fewer people, each in worse shape than the last.

Finally, the elevator usage stops all together. The incomplete families like us are left at the opening of the mines trying to grasp the fact that nobody else in the mines below us has survived.

I'm one of the people who are unable to grasp this harsh reality. Derain looks shocked. Prim starts thrashing in his arms and wailing. My mother is sobbing. I can't believe it. Mine explosions are fairly common, but I never thought my dad would die of one. I can't believe it.

I grab onto Derain's arm and my mother's shaking hand. We start walking back towards our home, as we all realize that _no, _he will not be coming out and _yes, _he is dead. The realization hits my mother and sister the hardest at first. Once we return home, my mother runs to her and my father's room. We can hear her sobs from the living room. Prim stays in Derain's arms, crying and screaming freely.

At first, Derain and my own pain is numbed. Numbed by shock. Numbed by doubt. Numbed by the fact that this whole situation is so unbelievable and terrible.

The three of us just sit on the couch for a while, speechless. Finally Derain gets up and hands Prim to me. We walk towards our room and get into bed. Prim curls up beside me and I can't imagine what Derain is doing.

I'm trying my absolute hardest to stay strong for Prim. Because if I cry, Prim will only cry even harder; she knows it takes something awful to make me cry. But if Derain is crying, I don't think I'll be able to stay strong anymore.

Prim's cries quiet and she slowly nods off. I don't trust myself to, for I'll quickly be awakened by nightmares of the mines and my father's death. But against my own volition, unconsciousness takes me over.

_I'm dizzy, I've inhaled too much smoke and the screams and explosions are deafening. I'm running, and running fast. My dad is beside me screaming for me to run faster, but I tell him I can't. I glance over to my dad who is also running, but soon I can't see him. I only see fire. Fire fire fire. I can't see him, but I hear him. _

"_Run Katniss! You have to get out of here! Run!" He continues screaming this, but something soon cuts him off. And I don't hear him again after that. _

_The fire is everywhere and I'll never be able to get through it alive. I'm right. The fire overtakes me, and I'm engulfed by flames in a minute. The pain is like nothing else I've felt before and I only hope that I die quickly. A blinding white light replaces the flames and I know that I'm dead. When I'm dead, I awaken._

It's strange how time goes by so quickly in dreams. My latest dream- nightmare -only felt like a few minutes, but now light is pouring into my small room. Prim is sleeping, her eyes are puffy and by the way the covers and pillows are scattered across the room, her night was restless. Derain is sitting up staring into the distance. I take notice that his eyes aren't red luckily.

My own are however. At some point during the night, I must've begun crying profusely. My cheeks are still damp and my throat feels tight and scratchy. I feel awful, but I need to cover the fact up. Weakness isn't something I can afford to feel, especially now that we'll all have to work hard to keep afloat.

Derain catches my stare and gets up from his moderate sized mattress. As he approaches, I'm surprised by how calm and unfazed he looks; he has always been good at masking his emotions.

He sits beside me, being cautious of sleeping Prim. He puts his arm around my shoulder, similar to how he had done at the mines yesterday. Except this time I notice that even his rock hard mask can crack. Derain's eyes are glazed over and his cheeks are red. His hands are shaking slightly. But what causes me to lose any composure I'd had, is when he says, "It's okay, Kat."

I bury my face in his shirt and start crying. My tears quickly soak his shirt, but he doesn't seem to mind. Unlike yesterday, I take no comfort in his presence. There's no hope for my father now.

I find myself becoming drowsy, but this time I refuse to give into the horrors that it would bring. I disassemble from Derain's arms after reassembling my composure. I know that if I stay in this house that's filled to the brink with memories, I'll lose it again.

I walk into the bathroom and redress and splash water onto my face. When I return to the room I notice that Derain has vanished. I walk into the living room and I'm reminded of yesterday. Yesterday when my dad was still alive. I need to get out of here. _Now._

I lace up my hunting boots and head outside. The air is frigidly cold; the sky is a continually darkening grey. I pay no attention to anything besides keeping warm until I almost walk into someone. Derain.

"You aren't going out there alone. You'll get lost and freeze to death."

The shakiness in his voice catches me of guard and I can't manage any sort of response. I just settle with nodding and we trudge to the woods. Once we're under the fence, we slowly make our way to our weapons.

Unlike yesterday, the cold is unbearable and I can't keep my fingers from shaking. Coming out into the woods was a stupid idea, no creature would dare come out in this temperature and if they did there's no way that Derain or I could shoot it. Staying in that house however, wasn't an option. The forest is the only place with genuinely happy memories. The place where we get what we need to survive and where we can feel free. The forest itself has cured some of the emptiness I feel, but the cold is muddling my thoughts.

Apparently Derain feels the same. He's shivering as well and looks to me. I understand what he wants and I nod my head. We head back to the district after stowing away our weapons. We're back home in no time and our fingers are completely numb.

We warm up in front of the fire and wait for Prim or my mother to get awake. When the cold isn't clouding my thoughts, I begin to think up a game plan.

Now that my father-the main provider- is dead, we need to devise a way that we can stay alive. Even though right now I could easily be spouting tears like a waterfall, it won't get any of us anywhere. There's no time to mourn when there's people who need to be fed. No matter how difficult it's going to be, I have to work up my stone façade.

Derain and I will have to start hunting a lot more now. We may have to venture deeper into the forest and we'll probably have to learn the art of snares. Mother will need to reopen her apothecary shop. The job of providing is going to be more difficult now, but we'll manage. We've always managed, difficult as it was.

And over the few months without our father, manage, we do.

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**A/N: And there's chapter two! (: I don't really have much to say for this chapter except the fact that more interesting things are to come!**

**Thanks for reading, please review and leave comments or criticism! :D**


	3. Time Flies

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 3:

Time Flies

Derain and I go hunting every morning and after school. We bring back enough food to live off of. On my 12th birthday, I took out tesserae (much to Derain's displeasure) and with that, along with the game and other foods we get from trading, we're able to survive. We're no worse than before the accident, but no better either. My mother has fallen into a deep depression and it takes a great deal of effort to get her to get out of bed anymore.

I've noticed that over the months that I've been without my dad, the pain subsides. It's still there, leaving emptiness in its wake, but I've been able to numb it. I distract myself by hunting, not thinking of the reason that I have to now.

My stone mask has grown stronger over the months. There's only one thing that makes me feel weak now. Sleeping. The accident still plagues me in my dreams and I expect that it always will. I find myself always waking up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It's a small price to pay to ensure that Prim, Derain, my mother, and myself remain fairly healthy.

Time since the accident has gone by quickly. It seemed as if the seasons changed overnight. Not that I mind of course, now that the winter months are over there are more animals out and about. There are even fruits and herbs to be collected.

Spring is probably one of the most awaited times of the year. And also the most dreaded. Parents fear for their children. Children fear for themselves and for their siblings and friends. Spring is the time of year when the Reaping occurs.

Over the months since the accident, I have thought about the Reaping a remarkably small amount of times. I guess I've been successful in distracting myself after all…

But now the Reaping date is only two days away. Time really does fly when you're taking one day at a time and hunting every spare minute of the day.

I know I shouldn't be worried, but of course I am. Derain's words from so long ago still linger in my mind; they give me confidence and they take away some of my fears. Doubt still remains as I continually question myself: What if he gets picked and dies in the Games?

I shake my head impatiently. I can't afford to think like that, there are thousands of names in that bowl. Besides, Derain is a fighter, he could definitely win.

Suddenly I'm broken out of my thoughts by a familiar voice. "Gonna stand there staring at that lovely tree or are you planning to shoot the fat ass bird that's sitting in it?"

I smirk at his obnoxiousness and I load my arrow and fire at the bird. It falls to the ground and I notice where the arrow hit. A clean shot right through the eye. Something that only my dad could ever do.

Derain stares at me in amazement and I can't help but feel proud. I know that it was probably just a lucky shot, but that doesn't mean that it's not impressive.

After breaking out of his awe-inspired trance, Derain pats me on the back and retrieves the fat bird. I smile, something I can only ever do in the forest and something I've done less of since the accident. Derain smiles back at me and gives me a thumbs up.

It's not very long after the kill that we decide to return back and try trading a few things at the Hob. Our game bag is fairly heavy; we've gotten enough to feed our family for two days. Derain and I trade away a few birds (not my though-the-eye kill) and rabbit. We get a few coins and even some berries, a luxury in District 12.

As we finish trading, I get the distinct feeling that I'm being stared at. I look around the Hob discretely until I find the person who is staring intently at me. Hawthorne, I think? I remember seeing him at the Justice Building the day that my family collected my father's medal. His father also died in the explosion…

I've also seen him around school quite a bit. He's easily very handsome and gains many female admirers. His family is abnormally large; he has two brothers, a mother, and most likely a newborn baby brother or sister. I guess seeing him here shouldn't be surprising, he needs a way to feed his family as well. This teenage Hawthorne boy has most likely become the provider of his family since the mining accident.

The only thing that I can't fathom; what is he trading? He surely isn't a hunter, even though he would be capable. If he hunted in the same woods as Derain and I, we would've at least seen a trace of him. Maybe he's a gatherer… Although I definitely can't see the Hawthorne boy picking fruits, it's the best explanation I can come up with.

I meet his eyes and it surprises me when he doesn't lower his gaze. Instead his eyes bore into mine, with intensity that reminds me so much of Derain. Actually there are a lot of things about this boy that remind me of Derain.

He has the same hairstyle, dark brown and long and messy. He's taller than any normal teenager of his age. He looks muscular, even for just a teenager that can't be too much older than me. And his eyes. They are a deep grey, with flicks of blue. They have a fire within them that mimics my own and Derain's. If this boy wasn't such a stranger, we could possibly be siblings.

"Come on Kat, we gotta get home," Derain says as he finishes his trade. I nod and reluctantly lower my gaze.

We make our way through the crowd of people and I keep my eyes down. I raise my head a little as we near the booth where the Hawthorne boy was. He's still there negotiating with a short elderly man. He somehow notices my eyes trained on him and looks over his shoulder.

Hawthorne and I keep each other's gaze for a moment until Derain elbows me lightly in the ribcage. "Aw does Katniss have a boyfriend?" he says with a smirk.

I elbow him back harder, but I unwillingly chuckle at his joke. He laughs again and we make our way out of the Hob. I risk one glance back and I see that Hawthorne is still staring at me. That's not the craziest thing however. The craziest thing is when I see what he's trading. It's a rabbit.

The first thing that I can think of is that the boy is a thief. He somehow has managed to steal one of my own or Derain's kills. But that would be impossible; we always retrieve our kills as soon as they fall still. He could be a hunter, but what would he hunt with? My father was the only person who made bows and the Hawthorne boy would have no way of getting a hold of one. He could use a knife I guess, but rabbits are too fast to be killed with a close proximity weapon like a knife. Maybe the rabbit was already dying when he found it. Yeah, that's got to be what happened…

As we near the bakery, I push any thoughts of the Hawthorne boy out of my mind. I can't afford to be distracted when I'm about to trade; it might result in a raw deal, something we can't have happen. Derain ascends the steps of the bakery, I trail close behind. At the second knock, the door opens and the aroma of bread and other pastries engulfs me. How amazing it would be to be a baker…

"Care to trade?" my brother says with a warm smile. Derain has always been pleasant and it's not too difficult to make him smile. I, however, appear sullen most of the time and don't smile without reason to. I'm the reserved one who keeps to herself.

The baker easily returns the smile and nods. "The usual?"

"Yes, sir," Derain returns politely. Since Derain and I have become the providers, we've learned more about trading and how to get better deals. At the bakery, we remain friendly and keep our order similar each time. It ensures that we'll always be guaranteed what we need every time.

The baker returns with a loaf of bread and Derain hands him two squirrels. He thanks us and returns into the bakery. Derain and I start on our walk back to the Seam.

"So, got any ideas on how Hawthorne got that rabbit?"

My mouth gapes at the question. It's like he's a freaking mind reader! I stutter back,"Well, umm…"

He laughs at my gaping mouth and says, "You're like an open book, you know."

I scowl at him and his cockiness. "Do _you _have any ideas, Derain?"

He pretends to think for a minute and I roll my eyes. "Maybe he's a hunter too?" Derain smirks down at me and I resist the urge to elbow him again.

I elbow him anyway. He only laughs, but we decide to drop it. We'll only know if we decide to question the Hawthorne boy, something neither of us really want to do.

In no time we're back at our home in the Seam. Prim greets Derain and I with hugs and he effortlessly scoops her into his arms. She giggles, but soon a frown begins to play on her lips.

I don't like seeing my little duck frown so I ask, "What's wrong Prim?"

She bites her lip obviously deciding on whether or not to tell me whatever is bothering her. Finally she speaks; "Mom doesn't doing anything anymore."

Since my father was killed, my mother has been depressed. No, not depressed. That's too generous of a term for what she is. My mother is basically just a shell of who she used to be. A useless shell that doesn't do anything and that can hardly face every day. I would never blame her for it of course, but I do wish she would try to be stronger for our-no Prim's-sake.

We all walk into the dark, cold house. I start to cook our dinner, while Derain and Prim work on homework. When dinner is done, I call them out and we all eat in a comfortable silence. I go to my mother's room and somehow manage to get her back to consciousness. I sit next to her frail and weak figure and try to get her to eat a bit of the squirrel that served as our dinner. She takes a few bites, but then starts crying again. I leave her to continue sleeping.

Before heading to bed, I do my homework and listen to Prim talk about her day. I'm glad when every day the recounts of her day are positive. I'm happy that she gets to be happy.

Only an hour later, the three of us head to our bedroom. Too soon I'm asleep being plagued by the awful nightmares of the mines and my father being blown to bits. But tonight, something else haunts me. The Hunger Games.

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**A/N: Chapter 3, done! Ok welp, we're FINALLY getting near the interesting, dramatic part, so stay-tuned! Chapter 4 will definitely be up by tomorrow! Thanks again for reading (: **


	4. Safety Given, Safety Taken

**A/N: Before I start off this chapter, I just want to thank everyone for their support so far! (: I really appreciate everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited the story!**

**(And to happyhungergames99, you'll find out in this chapter!)**

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Learning to Thrive

Chapter 4

Safety Given, Safety Taken

I wake up at the crack of dawn drenched in a cold sweat. I'm still trembling violently and I'm thankful that nobody else is awake yet. I go through my morning routine as I do every day, Derain waking up at some point. The day goes on as normal.

At the Hob that evening, Hawthorne is there once more. I keep my eyes lowered to avoid any teasing from Derain. The teasing comes anyway. "You're boyfriend's starin' at you Kat."

He earns a punch in the arm from me. I unwillingly look over to Hawthorne and yes, he is indeed staring at me again. I still don't understand why, but I decide to let it go.

The rest of the day goes by quickly and before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep.

Nightmares of Derain being picked for the Games are all I have for once. When I'm awakened by Derain lightly shaking my shoulder, I remember that I need to stop worrying.

Derain and I head to the woods and I try to savor the time as much as I can in case, God forbid, one of us gets picked. Far too soon, we decide that we must head back so that we have enough time to freshen up for the Reaping.

At home I take a quick bath, something that Seam kids rarely do. I put on my mother's old Reaping outfit; a grey skirt and a white blouse. Prim carefully braids my hair into a fancier style than my normal, everyday braid. Derain wears a pair of my father's dress pants and a light polo.

The bell sounds, telling us that we must begin to make our way to the Town Square. Derain and I force my mother out of bed. She wobbles behind on our journey to the square. When we're there I head to the 12 year olds section, while Derain makes his way to the 18 year olds.

I look for him amongst the other 18 year old men. He's easily one of the tallest, so I have no trouble finding him. Derain seems to find me simultaneously and he gives me a small reassuring smile. I somehow manage to return it, but all the reassurance in the world couldn't keep my heart from pounding madly in my chest.

Suddenly I notice Effie Trinket walking on stage. This year her hair is a ridiculous shade of pink and if I were to be anywhere besides the Reaping, it would be hard not to break out in fits of laughter. She starts speaking, but I'm not listening to her at all. Not when she redirects the attention to the large screen where President Snow gives his yearly speech. Not when she speaks the famous phrase, "May the odds be _ever _in your favor!" Not when she walks to the bowl filled with potential girl tributes names. Not even when she pulls one out.

I only start to listen when she reads out the name. "Eliza Dopkins!" I breathe a very selfish breath of relief. I'm more than relieved that I won't be the female tribute, but I still feel terrible for the small girl who is walking from the section that I reside in towards the stage. She isn't familiar to me, but I can tell that she's a merchant by her blonde hair and beautiful outfit. Eliza is quickly on the stage, the tears running in rivers down her cheeks.

Effie is walking briskly to the male's bowl and too quickly, she is holding the name of the District 12 male tribute. I barely have enough time to pray that it's not Derain before she's reading the name out.

"Ryan Tesay."

A brilliant smile illuminates my face. Derain will **not **be going into the Hunger Games. Not this year, not ever. Since he will be 19 in a few months, there is absolutely no way he could be entered, therefore picked. My brother's safety is guaranteed.

It's not more than a minute after Ryan's name was read that a gut-wrenching scream sounds from the parents section. It's not uncommon for parents to become hysterical if their child's name is read.

There is something odd about this occasion, however. Ryan has not yet emerged from the crowd to take his place on stage. All of the kids look around for the boy. Where could he be hiding and why would he try to hide from the inevitable in the first place?

Ryan's mother's wails continue until two Peacekeepers escort her out of the Square. Effie Trinket looks baffled, but tries her best to appear calm. Nobody understands where Ryan is, and why he is trying to avoid his undeserved punishment.

Nobody understands until a girl in the 15 year old's section steps out of line and speaks.

Her voice is quiet, but loud enough to hear. It sounds so strained and weak, and I notice that there are tears running down her face. "I'm Rayleigh Tesay, Ryan's younger sister," she pauses, trying to calm her crying long enough to get a few more words in. "Last week, he d-died of lung cancer, from working in them fuckin' mines!"

Everyone watches the young girl speak of her brother. No one says a word. On stage, Effie Trinket appears to be confirming Ryan's death with Mayor Undersee. When they are positive that he is indeed deceased, they announce a re-draw.

A re-draw?

But that would mean…

Derain still could be picked. He isn't safe.

Not yet, anyway.

Rayleigh retreats to her section and Effie approaches the bowl of names for a third time.

"And the boy tribute is…"

"Derain Everdeen."

My heart stops. The breath hitches in my throat. My whole body goes cold. Everything spinning and I'm hoping that it means that I'm waking up from another awful nightmare. But I'm already wide awake.

I hear a scream from the bystanders section again. This one belongs to Prim. I look up to the boy who is making the trip to the stage. I will it that he is not my brother. Anybody but my brother. I've just heard it wrong; Derain isn't going into the Games. There's no way in hell he could be…

But when the boy glances over his shoulder at me, I know I'm wrong. It is Derain. Derain is going into the 70th annual Hunger Games. And I can't do anything about it.

The rest of the Reaping passes in a blur. When the crowd disperses, I find my mother and Prim, both of whom are sobbing uncontrollably. It's incredible that I'm not doing the same right now. I guess the pain will be delayed like it was when my father was killed.

A pair of Peacekeepers escorts us into the Justice Building for our goodbyes and then it really hits me. And it hits me _hard_. This could very well be the last time I see Derain. The tears start at the realization.

We're taken down a long hallway and I'm told to wait outside the room while my mother and sister go in. "He's my brother, I'm not sitting out here while everyone else gets their goodbyes!" I shout furiously.

The Peacekeepers remain unfazed by my sudden anger when they respond. "He'd like to speak to you separately from your mother and sister."

I scowl at them anyways, focusing on my anger rather than giving in to my sadness. I turn my head away and I realize that my mother, sister, and I weren't the only ones here to say goodbye to Derain. The Hawthorne boy is standing only feet away from me.

I have three minutes to figure out what the hell he could be doing here and I plan to use it well. He couldn't have known my brother well, Derain is 18 and this boy is only 14 or so. I've never seen them even cross paths at school, so there's no good explanation for him being here. Unless maybe our dad's knew each other and he's here by some strange respect of the dead? I have no idea…

I keep my eyes to the ground, but even so, I feel the boy's eyes on me. I still can't figure out why he stares at me. I don't have even the vaguest idea whatsoever.

The three minutes are up quickly and the Peacekeepers retrieve my screaming sister and sobbing mother from the room. After they are gone, I take a deep breath and head into the room.

This room is easily the fanciest place I've ever been to in my entire life. But there's no time to worry about the room, only time for the person in it.

Derain picks me up in his arms without hesitation and mutters things like, "It's okay," and "We're gonna be alright." Only then do I realize that I'm crying uncontrollably. Well, there goes my seemingly titanium composure.

He sets me down lightly, but keeps a firm grip on my shoulders. I try valiantly to reapply my rock-hard mask. Finally the tears stop enough that I can speak. "Promise me that you'll win. Please."

It bothers me at how much it sounds like I'm begging. It seems to bother him too, except in a different way. I notice that his composure is also beginning to fade and that tears are rolling down his cheeks. When he speaks, his voice cracks, "I promise I'll try. I promise."

That's the best that I'm going to get I guess. There can be no guarantees made, not even by a Career. At least I can be sure that he'll try. "You'd better try your damned hardest," I muster out.

He nods and then brings me in for another hug. I hear him say, "You're gonna have to hunt more than ever. Use dad's book of plants to find more things that are edible. You'll make it Kat, I know you will."

I cry into his shirt, but I'm able to choke out, "I will."

The Peacekeepers barge in the room much too quickly and grab my wrist. "I love you, Derain! Come back!" I yell before they begin to drag me away.

Before the door slams shut, I hear him yell, "Love you too, Kat!"

Now I'm in the hallway with Peacekeepers all around me. Hawthorne is looking at me and I'm finally able to place an emotion in his eyes. Pity. Usually I would scoff at the emotion. Pity isn't something I've ever taken well to; it won't help improve the situation.

Right now, I'm in no mood for a temper tantrum against Hawthorne. So I just sigh as he passes me and walks into the room where my brother is.

I easily locate my mother and Prim sitting on the steps outside the Justice Building. They are both inconsolable. Prim flies into my arms as I approach and my mother grabs onto my shoulder for support. We walk miserably back to the Seam, similar to how we had done just 30 or so minutes ago.

Except now Derain is gone.

When we get home I lead my mother and Prim into my mother's room. They quickly settle on the bed and curl up beside each other, sobbing uncontrollably. I don't bother to fix anything to eat, I couldn't eat if I tried and I'm sure my mother and sister couldn't either.

Since this ordeal began, my mask has been pretty strong. There have been a few cracks here and there, but it remained intact. Now it's truly beginning to crumble.

I'm shaking uncontrollably and I have to grab on the kitchen table to keep from collapsing. Tears are rolling down my cheeks at an alarming rate. I hear small cries that I realize belong to me. Finally, my legs give out and I fall onto the cold floor.

There isn't any possibility that I'll be able to stand up any time soon, so I stay on the ground and bring my knees up to my chest. How pathetic I must look right now, I can only imagine. However at this particular moment, appearing weak isn't something I'm fighting against.

Time goes by quickly and before long, the light that seeped into our small shack is gone. I know that eventually I need to get up, but I delay it for as long as possible. The entire night, I lay on the freezing floor. I don't sleep, but I think that I've gone into some form of unconsciousness.


	5. Lonely

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 5:

Lonely

Morning comes quickly and I know that I need to get up. Lying on the floor crying my eyes out isn't going to get me anywhere. I try to regain my balance by grasping onto the table, but it isn't enough to keep me upright. I feel myself falling, but I turn myself so that the counter is in my path. I lean onto it for a moment trying to find the feeling in my legs.

Once I'm able to walk steadily, I check on my mother and sister. The door creaks open to my mother's bedroom and I see that Prim and mother are still curled up together. I take notice that they are both shivering, so I fetch a blanket from my own bed and throw it over them.

The house is difficult to stay in, similar to how it felt after my father's death. This time Derain isn't there to comfort me and to accompany me to my safe haven. I decide that I'd might as well get used to going alone, for Derain might not ever be back.

I slip on clean clothes, my worn hunting boots, and my father's old hunting jacket, something I've grown accustomed to wearing. I leave the house and travel in the direction of the woods.

Going to the woods alone is very… _different_. I don't like the new feeling, it's unnerving and depressing. Ever since I began going into the illegal woods, either my father or Derain has been with me, watching my back. Now they're both gone and I feel alone. Hopefully this terrible loneliness only lasts a few weeks.

I approach the fence and check for any buzzing which would indicate that it is electrified. I hear nothing, so I slide under. I take in the all too familiar scent of the forest and it's comforting. For some people, I'm sure coming back to the place filled with so many memories of the person you've lost can be difficult, maybe even impossible. For me however, I take comfort in the hominess of the woods that hold only good memories and good things.

It only takes a few minutes of searching before I find the hollow tree stump the serves as a home to my bow and arrows. As well as Derain's. I'm stronger than I thought; the sight of his equipment barely brings any new waves of sadness whatsoever. Just more of the lonely feeling.

Before I know it, I see something moving in the trees. I load my weapon and prepare to shoot. A plump squirrel has made its way into my view and is quickly falling from its perch. The arrow is lodged in its eye.

These direct eye shots have been becoming more plentiful and I'm starting to realize that my shots aren't just luck. It's actually skill that's been taking the creatures down. I glow in pride, but it soon vanishes. The loneliness becomes even harsher and this time I'm reminded of my father.

I cast the thoughts from my mind and continue hunting. It's around noon when I decide to head back from the woods. I wage an internal debate on whether or not I should try my luck at the Hob.

I've never been to Hob without Derain or my father, much like the forest. This morning I seemed to have pretty good luck in the forest, so maybe I'll have some luck at the Hob too.

The Hob is crowded, as I expected. I head to the nearest open stall and begin trading. Overall, I trade a few birds for some salt, two squirrels for fruits, and a turkey for some butchers meat. I'm thrilled at my decent success, but I don't show it. Retaining a poker face is a necessity when it comes to trading.

Once again, I feel eyes boring into my back. Before even turning around, I know that Hawthorne is the person staring. I didn't know, however, that he would be so close. Hawthorne is only a few feet away, and walking in my direction at an alarming speed.

I don't know how I should feel. I should probably feel scared or intimidated. This boy is easily a foot or so taller and has a strong build. Somehow I don't feel intimidated at all, even at the intensity of his eyes. I pretty sure that the only thing that I feel is confusion. Maybe a bit of curiosity, but mostly confusion.

Once the boy is almost directly in front of me, I brace myself for whatever he may have to say. The effort is unneeded however, because he simply walks past me. I'm really starting to wonder what the fuck this guy's deal is…

Hawthorne glances back at me once he's passed, and looks slightly uneasy as I glare back at him. Derain always said that I have a killer glare. I faintly notice that the boy mouths something to me. 'Later?' I think it is. When I'm about positive that I haven't misunderstood, I nod my head.

I leave the Hob with thoughts of the Hawthorne boy racing through my mind. _Finally_ I'll get an answer to my question; what the hell does he want?

At first I don't realize how he's going to be able to speak to me. I'm not planning on waiting around the Hob all day and I don't know where else we could possibly meet. I stand against the frame of the Hob for a few minutes, hoping the Hawthorne will be coming out. Reluctantly I decide that it may take longer than I'd like, so I begin to leave. Unfortunately today I won't be getting any answers…

The bag on my back is heavy, it's filled with my remaining game, fruit, and preserving salt. It begins to become uncomfortable as I reach the halfway point to the bakery. I start to wonder how I'm going to manage to carry it the entire way back to the Seam.

Suddenly I realize how selfish I'm being. Holy shit, I have to carry some heavy bag for a few miles, and I'm mentally complaining. What about Derain, what the hell does he have to go through?

By now he's probably at the Capitol being 'beautified' by his stylist. I don't know exactly what that includes, but whatever it is can't be something enjoyable. Often times the District 12 tributes look unrecognizable to their family and friends back home. I hope that whatever they do, they don't alter his appearance _that _much.

Soon I'm at the bakery, knocking at the door. Instead of the baker, Peeta, his son answers the door. He is in my year at school and seems really friendly. Hopefully I can get a good deal from him.

At first he looks surprised to see me, but then he notices the game bag I carry over my shoulder and asks, "Here to trade?"

I nod my head and plaster a fake smile onto my face. He returns it and invites me inside. I've only been in the bakery a handful of times. Derain and I usually trade with the baker at the back door. Peeta looks at me sheepishly and says, "My father isn't here, but I can try to make you a deal."

"It's alright, we usually give a squirrel or two for a loaf of bread," I say politely, hoping that he doesn't think I'm lying.

He seems to believe me as I hand over two squirrels, each impaled in the neck. Not as good as a through-the-eye kill, but it's still pretty good. He takes the squirrels from my hands and disappears into another room.

When he returns, he's carrying two perfect loaves of bread. I shake my head and say, "One will be fine." Most times I would accept another loaf of bread, but one; I don't like handouts. Two; I don't want to see Peeta Mellark get into trouble because of me.

He doesn't seem to budge as he puts the warm loaves of bread into my hands. "You need them, don't worry about it."

I start to hear a woman yelling at some unfortunate soul from somewhere else in the bakery. I can guess that it's the baker's wife and I grow terrified as I hear her footfalls getting closer.

Peeta starts to look frantic and I understand that if his mother were to find out about the deal he just made me, he would get in a whopping amount of trouble. I quickly thank him and exit the bakery before he can get into any sort of trouble.

The walk home is difficult. My muscles are sore and tired from the long hours of hunting, and the full game bag on my shoulder definitely isn't easing the pain. Finally, I reach the Seam and I head for my home.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, here was a tiny bit more of an appearance from Gale and little bit of Peeta! This chapter was kind of boring, sorry for that. The next chapter is shorter, but more excited, so stay tuned! :D**

**Syvia(guest): To answer your question about Gale and Katniss going into the Games together, I don't know. I honestly have no idea whether I'm going to have that as one of the conflicts in the later chapters or if I'm going to alter it a little bit. But thanks for asking! (:**

**Thanks for all of the support guys, I really appreciate it!(:**


	6. Confidence

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 6:

Confidence

As I walk into the house, I'm stricken by how quiet it is. I expected to hear some signs of my mother's or Prim's grief, but there is none. I walk into the bedroom and see that only my mother remains in bed. Prim is sitting up trying to console my quietly crying mother. I make my way over to them and silence them both with my steely stare.

"Both of you, listen to me," I say both harshly and softly. I don't want to upset Prim or my mother anymore than they already are. "Derain will be coming home, he's strong, and he's a fighter. He can win." The confidence I feel about my words is reflected in my voice.

Prim and my mother only look at me, but I can tell that I've at least made some sort of a dent in their sadness. Their tears cease and my mother even sits up a little. Prim crawls into my arms and throws her little arms around my neck.

I carefully set her back down on the bed and prepare something for a late lunch. I cook a squirrel and slice up two apples, being careful to ration as much as I can. I'm thrilled when my mother and sister both finish all of the food that I've given them.

Afternoon soon turns to evening and I begin to clean myself up a little before heading down to the town square for the Opening Ceremonies. "Do either of you want to watch the Openings in town with me?" I ask my mother and Prim before I leave.

They both shake their heads and tell me that they'll be watching from home. With my hair rebraided, clean clothes on, and all the dirt and sweat wiped from my hands and face, I walk briskly to the square.

It's already filled with people, but I'm left through to the very front of the crowd; courtesy, I guess. I only have to wait for a few minutes before the gates open and the tributes are presented to the Capitol. The first chariots to become visible are those of District 1. The girl looks completely useless when it comes to strength, but the boy is very tall and strong. Both District 2 tributes are terrifying and I can't help but worrying about how Derain would fare if he were to battle one of them.

None of the other tributes really catch my attention until the District 12 chariot comes forward. Unfortunately the stylists didn't do anything spectacular to woo the crowd, but Derain's natural handsomeness has the Capitol women swooning.

Derain and Eliza both look amazing, but their costumes are completely unoriginal black coal miner uniforms. Sadly, this won't get them many sponsors, but there are still the training scores and the interviews where they can try to win over the Capitolites.

I stand in the square watching the screen intently until the chariots go back through the gates. I notice that the entire Opening Ceremony I've been smiling like an idiot. I can't possibly imagine what the reason for my foolish grin could be, but then I realize it; it's because none of the other tributes looked like they would be a match for Derain. I smile wider.

I know that Derain could beat every one of the other tributes if he has the correct weaponry. Hell, he could even beat some of them with his bare hands. The Careers don't even look so tough next to Derain. As the District 12 chariot disappears beyond the gate, I'm left feeling pride for my brother and a new wave of confidence.

It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness after lowering my gaze from the large screen. The crowd begins to leave one by one, and I follow behind.

I try to navigate my way back to the Seam; I've never walked home in this sort of darkness before. Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading so far! I know this chapter is short and I know that there's a little cliffhanger at the end. Who could it be that followed Katniss back to the Seam? Don't worry, you'll find out really, really soon. I'll be posting another chapter a little later on since I can't get on tomorrow. So stay-tuned for that update! And thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, I appreciate it SOOO much :D **

**Oh yeah, make sure to watch the Kid's Choice Awards tonight to see if The Hunger Games wins any awards! :D**


	7. Rejected

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 7:

Rejected

The sudden contact causes me to jump about 10 feet into the air and almost let out a shriek. I bite the scream back and brace myself for any sort of fight as I turn to the person who tapped my shoulder. I hesitantly lower my clenched fists when I realize it's only Hawthorne standing behind me.

How the hell did he do that? It should be impossible to sneak up on me, my ears being keen enough to pick up sounds from very far away. But somehow he did and he managed to scare the living hell out of me. I scowl at him.

Hawthorne raises his hands in surrender and eyes me curiously as if I was about to attack him. I'm actually surprised that I didn't, my temper would've gotten to me by now if it was Derain behind the scare.

When I'm sure that I've intimidated him, I stop scowling and replace my angry look with one of confusion and curiosity.

He finally speaks, the first I've heard him do so, "It's not a good idea to be walking home alone in the dark."

I know he's right, but I don't want to appear weak so I counter, "I can take care of myself."

He puts on a look of arrogance that reminds me too well of Derain. "_I_ highly doubt that."

With that, my scowl returns. Why is this boy, who I barely know at all, insulting me? Just because I'm 12 doesn't mean I can't take care of myself. Hawthorne seems to realize what set me off, so he tries to clarify; "What I mean is that you would be better off working with a partner."

I cock my head to the side, wondering what he could mean. A partner? Who? Certainly not _him_. He can't be a hunter and besides, why would he want me as a partner? I'm just a small 12 year old girl, no matter what I say against it. "Who?"

Hawthorne looks down sheepishly, refusing to meet my questioning gaze. "Me," he says quietly.

There are so many questions running through my mind right now. But there's one I need to answer immediately; do I want Hawthorne as my hunting partner?

Of course having someone else there would be comforting, but he would probably get in the way. With Derain and I, we worked in sync and could predict each other's next move perfectly. I don't know Hawthorne's moves like I know my brother's, nor do I even know what weapon he uses. I don't even know if I can trust him; he could very well plan to steal my game.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'm gonna pass," I say gently. I have no idea how he will react to my rejection.

At first he looks shocked, but then his face contorts in anger. "You really think you're gonna be able to make it all on your own?"

There he goes insulting me again! What the fuck is his problem? "Like you would know," I scoff. "I'm doing a decent job so far, for your information."

"If you think your 'success' is going to be long lived, you're completely delusional."

This boy is making me seethe now and I can't help when I begin to see red. I've always been short-tempered, but I usually have enough composure to not let something like this get to me. I glare at him with fiery rage and growl, "How dare you. You don't even know me."

He returns the glare and says, "I know you well enough to know that you aren't gonna make it too far by hunting on your own."

I repeat my previous statement; "How dare you, Hawthorne." My voice drips with disdain, but Hawthorne doesn't look the least bit affected by it.

We both hold strong, fiery glares until we both turn on our heels to leave. Before we're 10 feet away from each other, I hear him call out, "I'd appreciate it if you call me as Gale."

I laugh coldly, hoping that he'd heard. As if I care what he wants anymore. After this argument, I can't focus on anything besides my unfair resentment towards _Gale_.

I know that I don't have the right to hate him just because of this one argument. After all, it was all because I didn't accept _his_ help. But some of his words really struck a nerve and I'll be damned if I don't hold him to that.

My home is luckily the one I approach. How awkward it would be to walk into a stranger's home…

I hurry inside and find Prim sitting at the kitchen table waiting on me. "Katniss!" she exclaims before running into my arms.

With Prim so near, it's hard to stay angry at anything, so I pull her in for a quick hug and say, "Hey Little Duck."

She gives a small quack and leads me into mom's bedroom. Mother isn't crying profusely luckily, but she's still… blank. I guess that's all we're gonna get from her until Derain comes back…

Prim follows me back into the kitchen where I prepare a light dinner. We eat in silence and then head into the living room to watch recaps of the Reapings and of the Opening Ceremony.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, now things are reeeaaallllyyy getting kind of interesting c: From this point and on, Gale is going to be a pretty active part of the story, so definitely stay-tuned if you're like me, and you love Gale and Galeniss (that will be a little farther on in the story.) **

**Since I've gotten to the interesting, active parts, I'm going to be posting a little less often. Probably every 3 or 4 days I'm thinking, give or take a bit. **

**Again, thanks to all of my readers and reviews! :) **


	8. The Odds

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 8:

The Odds

At the recaps of the Reapings, I try to hide my smile without success. I'm correct; there isn't anybody who looks very competitive next to Derain. Prim notices my smile and must think I'm shit-crazy, so she asks, "Why are you smiling, Katniss?"

With all the confidence and pride I can muster I reply, "None of these people look like they'd be a match for Derain."

Prim looks shocked as she realizes that I'm right. She sits in awe for a moment, but finally speaks breathlessly, "He could come home."

"He will come home," I repeat happily.

The next three days pass without incident. I wake early to go hunting and then head to school. School mostly consists of watching pre-Hunger Game events from previous years, so no effort is needed on my part. I trade at the Hob in the evenings. _Gale_ still stares at me, but I don't return it anymore. I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

Finally the evening of the third night is upon us, the night when the districts individual training scores are announced. I'm confident that Derain can earn a solid 8 or 9 since he's at about the same level as the Careers.

I walk into the town square as dusk falls, this time Prim right beside me. She's decided to accompany me this time, for there is no fear that Derain will get hurt.

We arrive just as the District 1 tribute's scores are being announced. The crowd makes us a path to the front and Prim and I watch until Caesar Flickerman announces District 12's scores.

Overall, none of the competition is any more than average. The Careers have all earned a solid 8, besides the District 1 girl. She pulled off a 6, something uncommon for a Career. The other competitors received scores ranging from 2-7.

Eliza managed a 4, something fairly common for District 12. Finally 'Derain Everdeen' flashes on screen, followed by a picture of the name's owner. Finally the number appears. I can't even believe it.

At first I look around me, only to see that everyone else's eyes are wide and their mouths are forming an 'o'. I can't believe what I've just heard; I must've heard Flickerman wrong or something. But what I've heard is true. I know it because of the way loud cheers echo behind me, all chanting Derain's name and his score; a perfect 12.

I haven't the slightest idea how Derain managed to earn a 12. Nobody, not even a Career has gotten above a 10, let alone a 12. My pride and confidence levels are through the roof and I smile the widest I have since before the mining accident.

Prim squeals happily and hugs my waist, which is the highest she can reach. After our quick embrace, we link hands and make our way out of the crowd. We walk to the Seam, but this time I keep a very close watch for any stalkers. *Cough* Hawthorne *Cough*.

Luckily, we make it home quickly, without any sort of disturbances from Gale. I refuse to let my ecstatic mood be ruined by him. I walk Prim into my mother's room, the place that she's been sleeping since the Reaping. Once she and my mother are both tucked in, I make my way into my own room.

Having the room to myself is something new, something uncomfortable. Most kids I assume would enjoy the privacy and peacefulness. I don't feel the same way; the empty room just gives me the feeling of loneliness, something I've been feeling far too much of for the past few days.

Soon I'm being taken over by fatigue and at last, I give in.

* * *

**A/N: **And this was Chapter 8! Not really too exciting, so I apologize .. :P Also it was really short, just like 6 and 7. That being said, I'm gonna go ahead and post Chapter 9 today also. Then I won't be updating until like Sunday or Monday.

Chapter 9 will be up as soon as I finish Jailbreaking my friend's iPod and I have no idea how long that's going to take. But stay-tuned!

As always, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! :)


	9. Delightful Arrogance

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 9:

Delightful Arrogance

Hours later, I awake covered in sweat. Thankfully the nightmares have been nothing more than just repeats of the mine explosion, nothing even remotely connected to the Games. My room is light signaling that morning is upon us. I decide that hunting wouldn't be a bad idea. We still have a decent amount of food, but we can never have enough. I prepare to go into the woods.

The morning turns to afternoon as my game bag grows heavier. The Hob is even more crowded than usual and I have a hard time getting through to the trading booths. I'm finally about to break through when I run into the person in front of me.

By some damn coincidence, the person is Gale Hawthorne. He turns around as I start to move away, but he's too fast and I can't escape before I'm seen. I curse under my breath, but I realize something remarkably different about him. He looks _sick._

His cheeks are hollow and his face is very gaunt. There are dark bags underneath his eyes. I can tell by the way he moved that he is very weak. All of these are symptoms of starvation.

Any anger I'd been feeling towards the boy vanishes and I begin feeling pity for him. There's also a twinge of guilt; am _I _responsible for his sick state? Is it because that I wouldn't agree to be his hunting partner?

As much as I'd love to deny it, somewhere I feel that it's true. The twinge of guilt grows remarkably and I feel the need to help the boy. Somehow I know that it won't be easy. If his personality is anything similar to Derain's, he'll be too stubborn to accept a handout. I have no other options though so I'll have to do my best to convince him.

I realize that I'm just staring up at him like a fool, so I pull out the plump turkey I'd shot this morning. I can bear to give this away; I've caught a fair amount and we still have food at home.

Gale understands what I'm doing and shakes his head. "No Katniss, I'm not gonna take that from you," he says in what I believe is meant to be a strong and confident tone. It ends up sounding very weak, which is just more motivation for me.

"I'm fine, you need this," I say back, with just a hint of frustration in my voice.

He starts to argue, but I stop him before he can really start. "My family is fine and I don't want to see yours starve."

Gale winces at the mention of starvation and I can imagine that he isn't too far off from it. When I know that he'll accept I finish with, "If you won't take it for you, take it for your family."

Gale looks at me for a moment with a mixture of emotions; anger, distrust, worry, and gratefulness. Finally he takes the turkey from my outstretched hand and mumbles, "Thank you," before walking away.

I feel angry at his ungratefulness, but I realize that it must make him feel weak taking handouts from a 12 year old girl. I guess he's similar to me in that way. Weakness is an emotion that neither of us wants to show.

After my trades, I return home and busy myself with time-consuming activities. Finally it's around 6:30 pm and I decide that it should be a good time to head to the Square to watch the interviews. I fetch Prim, who has been flipping through one of my father's old plant books. We say goodbye to our mother and set out to the Town Square.

The Square is noticeably more crowded than the past gatherings. I guess more people have found hope in Derain, the boy I'm proud to call my brother. There's a 10 or so minute wait before the large screen erupts to life.

Caesar Flickerman is the first one to appear on screen, followed by a very, very large audience of Capitolites. They scream for and applaud the famous man, who this year is sporting green hair with a matching green tuxedo. He welcomes them all and finally the District 1 female tribute walks onto the stage.

Despite her weak performance and seemingly useless looks, she seems confident. I take note that her name is Priscilla and she is 13 years old. Other than that I don't hear too many things that catch my interest. Except for the ominous warning she issued right before her buzzer sounded; "Don't underestimate me, I'll surprise you all."

I get a bad feeling from her last statement, but before I can over think it, the District 1 male is striding onto the stage. He's tall and muscular, with sparkling emerald eyes and sandy blonde hair. His name is Dagger. What a ridiculous name!

His interview angle seems to be mysterious and dangerous, which he pulls off marvelously. The excellent interview he gave, along with the threat he could potentially be is enough to strengthen the bad feeling that I'm getting. The District 2 male, Andre, seems similar, as does his partner Farrah.

The District 4 tributes also seem very dangerous, but they seem less menacing and evil. I see compassion within them and I don't believe they enjoy being Careers. Their names are Colton and Delilah, who are both 16. I also notice that they seem to be closer than just allies. Maybe they are lovers?

The other interviews hardly keep my attention. The other tributes seem very small and weak compared to Derain and the Careers. I feel guilty for thinking things like these, but in the Hunger Games only one person can come out. And I know that it will be Derain. It _has_ to be.

Before long Caesar is welcoming Eliza onto the stage. Her angle is obviously innocent, judging by her squeaked answers and the light yellow gown that reaches her ankles. A clever idea it is, no one will feel good about watching her highly probable death.

Her three minutes are quickly up and Caesar presents Derain Everdeen to all of Panem. I involuntarily smile as he walks onto stage. He's wearing a black suit with red accents. There's a small smile on his lips as he takes his seat beside Caesar.

"So Mr. Everdeen, how'd you get that 12 in training?" Caesar starts breathlessly. "We're all just about dying to know!"

The crowd roars in agreement and Derain just smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, but I don't think the Gamemakers would appreciate it too much."

Loud boos and cries of displeasure are aimed toward the Gamemakers who are standing on a balcony high above the other people. "Besides, don't wanna give away my strategies, now do I?" I notice the cockiness in his voice, but also the charm. His angle must be something like charmingly arrogant.

Caesar quiets the crowd and begins his questioning again. "So Derain, I've heard that you have a rather large family back home in 12. Are you close?"

Derain nods his head, still smiling. His expression saddens a little as he starts, "My father died a few months back in a mining accident. It was tough because we were so close. My sister, Katniss and I are also extremely close. Prim and my mother are also incredibly important to me."

The screen flashes to the crowd. Some spectators appear to be honestly saddened and some are actually crying. How easily these ridiculous people can change their emotions…

"How do you think they are faring without you?" Caesar asks.

A genuine look of pride crosses his face. "Well Katniss is strong and capable of providing for our family. She's probably getting the family through this. It won't be too much longer she'll have to, since I'm going to be the one coming out alive." He flashes his arrogant smile and the crowd goes wild.

The buzzer sounds and the crowd applauds madly. All for my brother. I beam in pride and idolization. Any worry that the damn Career tributes caused me has vanished. I'm absolutely positive that Derain will come back to District 12 in something other than a casket.

That evening at home, I prepare a small feast which my mother even joins. A new wave of confidence has passed over all of us which has put us all in an exceptionally happy mood.

We all decide to head off to bed earlier than normally. Prim and I will need to be at school by 10am to watch the start of the Games.

Suddenly, my good mood vanishes. _The start of the Games._ The thought echoes in my mind, bringing panic in its wake.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay a long chapter. (: Okay, as I said, I probably won't be posting until Sunday or Monday. I don't have a very long spring break so I don't have much time to write. I literally have one day off (Friday.) That's serious bull. Haha sorry, I'll try to get some writing done, but I'm not making any guarantees. :3 R&R, thanks!.x(:


	10. Changes of Tomorrow

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 10:

Changes of Tomorrow 

Derain is going into the Hunger Games _tomorrow. _Derain could possibly die _tomorrow._ Derain could become a cold-hearted killer _tomorrow._ Tomorrow everything might change. Again.

My heart rate increases and I force myself to calm down and take deep breaths. Derain won't die, he just won't. He can't. He's too strong to be a victim of the bloodbath and he'd never go down without a fight.

Gradually I begin to regain my normal breathing pattern and I drive the negative thoughts from my mind. I suddenly realize how tired I am as my eyes begin fluttering. In only a few minutes, I'm asleep.

I'm awoken by someone shaking me. Who is shaking me? I force my eyes open and I see Prim staring at me with concern in her eyes. She's obviously the one who was shaking me, but why? What's going on?

I sit up immediately despite the stiffness in my back and neck. "What's wrong Prim?" I question immediately.

"I woke up and you were screaming!" she says fearfully. "Why were you screaming Katniss?"

Oh. What? Screaming? I've had some terrible nightmares before, but none that have caused me to scream. Let alone scream so loud that I wake up Prim, the world's heaviest sleeper.

I force myself to remember the nightmare from the previous night, only to regret it. The nightmare was very vivid and felt so realistic. _I'm in the Hunger Games and Derain is right beside me. We're running from Capitol-made mutts who are only a few feet behind us. I turn to where Derain was only a few seconds prior, only to see that he'd fallen. I run back towards him, but he tells me to leave him. And I do. I glance back and I see him being torn apart by the mutts. It's an image I'll never be able to erase from my mind, real or not real._

Prim shakes me again, waking me from my trance. I try with all the mental might that I have to push the image out of my mind. Luckily it works, but I know that it will soon return at full force.

I get up immediately, but am forced to sit back down. The muscles in my legs are protesting, as well as in my back and neck. After about a minute I trust myself to walk without stumbling and I make my way to my small dresser.

I pull out underclothes, grey pants, and a white shirt since I have no plans on going hunting this morning. I splash water on my face, change into the clean clothes, and re braid my hair. While doing this, Prim has put on a pink dress that used to belong to my mother when she was a Merchant child. Her blonde hair is in two perfectly even braids, something that my father could only pull off. We both still wear our hair in braids as recognition to our father.

I've slept in far later than I should've and I can guess that it's around 9 o'clock. We'll have to get moving pretty soon. I pull on my boots even though I won't be heading to the woods this morning. Prim and I both grab our small backpacks and say goodbye to my mother.

We jog to school, in case it's later than we've thought. Fortunately we make it on time and trail behind the herd of kids walking into the dingy building. Instead of meeting in our homeroom as we usually do at the start of each school day, we all go into the cafeteria. There are reserved tables for each grade level, so I lead Prim to the first grade tables. Once I'm sure that she has a seat I make my way to the eighth grade tables.

I sit next to Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter. One would think that the mayor's daughter would be popular and stuck up, but Madge certainly isn't. She quiet and reserved like me, so we usually end up sitting next to each other in the classes we share.

We greet each other with a small smile and a "Hello," but then fall silent. It suits us both that way. The cafeteria remains loud, full of people anxiously talking about the start of the Games. All at once the room grows quiet as the large screen in the middle of the wall begins to lighten.

Caesar Flickerman welcomes to viewers to the viewing of the 70th Annual Hunger Games, right before the tributes take their places. The spectators get a view of this year's arena, a tropical jungle. As long as there's woods and game, I know Derain will be fine.

The platforms that raise the tributes descend into the ground and appear a minute later with the tributes themselves. Derain and Eliza are two tributes down from each other and I notice that a bow and arrow lies directly in Derain's path.

Part of me screams at him to run from the Cornucopia, the large tent that is full of weapons and supplies. Another part yells for him to go for it since that weapon will give him a giant advantage. I know that he would never _not _go for it, so I root for him to be extremely cautious.

The 60 seconds the tributes must stand on their platforms before running onto the playing field is almost up. My heart is beating uncontrollably, but I have a good feeling that Derain will make it through the bloodbath _and _get the bow.

60 seconds turn to 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… The deafening gong rings and the tributes run in their respective directions. The Careers run toward the Cornucopia as do many other tributes, my brother included.

The Career males-Dagger and Andre-reach the Cornucopia first and immediately grab very dangerous weapons. Priscilla and Farrah are right behind them and find similar looking weapons.

The bloodbath starts immediately, the Careers lunge for any tribute that they can get a hold of. In only a minute or so, innocent blood stains the dark green grass and helpless children fall, becoming still. Luckily, none of the fallen tributes are Derain.

Derain reaches the bow and arrows at the same time the District 4 boy, Colton, does. Colton is at an advantage, as he also holds a large spear in one hand. I stop breathing at the possibility that Derain could be impaled by _that _at any time.

Thankfully I was correct about the District 4 boy being merciful and gracious. Instead on stabbing my brother with the spear, he pretends to appear surprised for a moment, just enough time for Derain to grab the bow and run.

But of course, Derain tests his luck. Any sane person would've run into the forest by now, but Derain just stays on the battlefield in search of more supplies. Has he gone totally insane?!

He collects a large and camouflaged pack before another Career, Farrah this time, begins chasing him. In her hands is a large mace, along with several throwing knives. She drops the mace knowing that no one would dare pick a fight with her by stealing it, and she throws one of the knives directly at Derain's head.

I gasp. No! Dammit Derain, duck! And as if he can hear my thoughts, he raises his bag as a shield. The knife lodges deep in the part of the bag that had been covering his head. Farrah seems _pretty_ pissed off, but notices someone close behind her. Someone is actually trying to steal her mace! This infuriates her and she stops chasing Derain.

Derain is free to run into the woods now; he got off with some damn luck. The poor kid, I think from District 8, will not be getting the same break. Unless by break you mean a broken neck, which is exactly what he gets.

Farrah sprints towards him and before he can even think of escaping, she's got him in a death lock. She takes the poor boys neck and twists it, as if it was some sort of jar lid. The snap makes my stomach lurch painfully, but before I can feel anymore disgust or pity, the camera jumps to an overview of the battlefield.

The Careers are still killing the children who stayed to scour the field. All except for Colton and Delilah. If it were possible for me to respect any Career, I would respect them. But all I can feel for now is gratitude towards the boy for letting my brother survive. How much easier it would've been to just end his life, lower the competition. I'll always be extremely grateful for his graciousness.

The rest of the bloodbath goes on, but my attention wavers. All I can think about is whether Derain is okay or not. I tell myself that he is, that he has to be. He can take on every other tribute a_nd _he has his weapon of choice. Despite the huge advantage he has, I can't help but fear for him.

I watch desperately for who knows how long, before hearing the cannons. Cannons signal the death of a tribute and in this case, the end of the bloodbath. The cannons aren't fired until after because nobody would be able to keep track of them if they would be fired during the bloodbath.

I count; 1,2,3,4… until finally ending at 14. 14 tributes dead. 14 tributes who will never come home to see their family or friends. 14 innocent children who have been murdered, ultimately by the Capitol. My resentment towards the Capitol grows, as does the rebellious spark that I've inherited from my father.

The only good thing is that only 10 tributes remain. This year's death toll has been unusually high, victimizing over half of the competition. Maybe this year's Games will end quickly…

I don't have much time to muse over that possibility, as a loud scream fills the room.

* * *

**A/N: **OH MY GOD I HAVEN'P UPDATED IN OVER TWO WEEKS. I feel wretched, especially since I promised a quick update. I've had exams for the past week and a big trip the week before that, so if that counts as a good excuse.. Either way, I'm REALLY sorry. After my last two tests (Monday and Tuesday) I'll be uploading one long chapter or two slightly smaller ones. So stay-tuned! :)

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story!


	11. The Unknowing

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 11:

The Unknowing

Katniss POV

The high-pitched scream interrupts my thoughts and I immediately look for Prim. She's sitting at the first grade table with several of her friends, all of whom are staring towards the fourth grade tables.

A merchant girl is sobbing uncontrollably at the table, her white-blonde hair strewn everywhere beside her. A boy with similar hair and striking blue eyes runs over to her from the tenth grade section. They are vaguely familiar, but I haven't the slightest idea how I recognize them. Then I remember.

Oh. They are Eliza's siblings. Eliza, the other District 12 tribute must not have made it out of the slaughtering session alive. I can't imagine how they feel right now, knowing that their sister was just murdered on national T.V. Even though I missed her death scene, I'm sure they were watching every minute of it. I can't fathom their grief.

And call me selfish, but I don't want to understand the feeling. For a 12 year old, I think I've already experienced enough grief to last me a life time; the death of my father, the depression of my mother, the loss (well, thievery) of my brother, and just my entire life overall.

I cannot lose him for good. And I won't, because I know that Derain can and will make it out alive. The two children continue to cry and everyone else just looks at them sadly. They've just lost a sibling, a family member, someone they loved and I couldn't feel worse for them.

The day persists, the Careers take up a majority of the film. They begin establishing a camp at the Cornucopia as well as assigning roles in the group. Dagger and Andre are the leaders of the Career pack. Farrah is third in command and according to the three of the top authority, Priscilla is the slave 'who will do everything we fucking ask you to, or die slowly and painfully.' It's despicable how they treat people and I start to feel sorry for the District 1 girl.

But then I stop, remembering that she _is _from District 1 and she probably wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who crossed her path.

Finally, Colton and Delilah are the hunters and protectors whose jobs include hunting for food and protecting the base while the others go out looking for other tributes to eliminate. They seem very grateful to have been partnered together and peck each other on the lips, confirming my suspicion of a possible romantic background.

At some point during the morning (or afternoon, I haven't kept track), the camera flashes to Derain. I breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing him alive and unscathed. He's hunting for food and exploring the very green jungle.

Although there are woods in the arena, they aren't the same as the ones here in 12. Instead of seasonal trees, there are only coniferous trees. The climate isn't the same either. District 12 is fortunate enough to experience the four seasons for about an equal amount of time. In the arena however, it appears to be as cold as the Polar Regions. I can tell by the way that all the tributes are shivering.

But although these woods are very different from our own, Derain seems to thrive and adapt as easily as anyone in his place possibly could. I smile because that's just how Derain is: persistent, willing, and a survivor to boot.

Finally without warning, the dismissal bell rings loudly. I gather my supplies; none of it was used over the course of today, and find Prim. We walk home and as soon as we're there, we switch on our television set. It's nothing spectacular, but it works well enough.

Seeing as we live in the Seam, the poorest part of the entire district, possibly even the country, we rarely have electricity. Right now isn't an exception, for the small screen remains unalive.

There's no reason to stay in the house, and besides, I need to go hunting. We're running fairly low on food, seeing as we ate up a majority of the food during our feast last night.

I leave after changing into a dark green shirt and telling Prim where I'd be. I make it to the fence quickly and I slide under and begin my usual hunt.

I only bring back enough to feed my family, nothing for the Hob. They can make do without the extra food for a few days…

As I move around in the forest, I see movements out of the corner of my eye. It gets to the point where I believe that some Peacekeeper has followed me and I begin to panic. Then I reason with myself, saying that I'm just being paranoid. After all, if it _was _a Peacekeeper I would've been captured by now. It's just an animal, only an animal…

My mental reassurance does nothing for the instinctive feeling that someone is following me. This uneasy feeling I have only quickens my hunting pace. In a few hours, my game bag is full enough to support my family for a day or so.

The moment I'm positive that my family will be able to eat well for a night and a morning, I practically fly towards the fence and back to my home. The minute I'm inside I approach the television, hoping that it would be on. Prim is surprised to see that I still have my game bag slung around my shoulder-I usually leave it on the porch-and notices the grotesque smell it emits. It makes her gag so I quickly take it back outside.

Once I'm back inside without my game bag this time, Prim tells me that the electricity has failed to come on. I trudge unhappily to the porch to skin my kills.

The rest of the evening goes by quickly; I prepare dinner and continually hit the off/on button on the face of the television. Nothing happens, so Prim and I head off to bed.

Before drifting off, I feel the need ponder something that happened today: the person that was with me in the woods. I try to assure myself again, saying that it couldn't have been anybody dangerous. Somebody dangerous wouldn't have hesitated to turn me in or to even kill me on the spot. If there was someone, and if I wasn't just being paranoid about an animal, it was someone who doesn't wish to hurt me.

I refuse to let the comforting part of my mind tell me that what I saw wasn't a person. My instincts are _never _wrong. I try to think of people who know me, care about me, and would be in the woods. I come up with no one. Unless…

No. No no no. It couldn't possibly be _Hawthorne, _could it? Why would he want to keep me safe? As far as I'm concerned, we still aren't on good terms. So why would he try to protect me?

But then again, why would he want to turn me in? Obviously he has some connection with Derain, so that would definitely be one of the things to stop him. He's also aware that my family would die without me going hunting for them and maybe he can relate with me on that. I guess it does make sense that he would be a hunter…

I can't really think anymore, but at least I've come up with a probable answer to my worries. Its only seconds until exhaustion has taken over my brain entirely and then I'm asleep.

Gale POV

I'm at home in my room, alongside my two brothers. The room is actually rather large, but with the three of us crammed inside, it gives me a feeling of claustrophobia. Both of my brothers are sleeping peacefully, but my only indication to that is their slow, even breathing. I can never be entirely sure, as once when I believed that Vick was fast asleep, he was actually reading by the moonlight.

On most nights, it takes an hour, possibly two, before I can fall asleep. There's so many thoughts that haunt me, that prevent me from falling asleep. It's ironic; when I'm awake I'm haunted, but I'm also haunted when I sleep.

The very worst nightmares seem to plague me on bitterly cold, snowy winter nights. It reminds me so much of the mine explosion from only a few months ago. It reawakens that anguish that I've tried so desperately to bury for the sake of my family.

Thankfully for me, it's a warm, breezy summer night. If I'm lucky, I'll only see short glimpses of the mines. Or maybe my dreams will be consumed entirely by the Hunger Games. Whereas in the winter, full movies of the mine explosion play and play in my head. The gore, the horrible anticipation, all of it; it doesn't stop.

For 14, I reckon that I've gone through about as much as any man goes through his entire life. But I have no doubts that my suffering will be continued. It's my fate to lead a miserable life, but as long my family thrives, I'm okay with it.

Even though I can't help feeling as if my life has been the cruelest of everybodys', I know it isn't true. Katniss Everdeen, a good example of people who are worse off than I am. She lost her dad and her brother, although indefinitely.

_"Please, if I don't make it back, keep her alive and watch over her. Please, and in return, if I come back a victor, I'll give you some of my winnings. Just please don't let her die."_

Derain's words ring clearly in my ears, as if he'd spoken to me only a minute ago. The sheer panic and helplessness in his voice made the words remain so crystal and intact to me. The dedication and love for his sister and his family made me agree to help him. That and the fact that I owe him.

Lying in bed, rehearsing Derain's words in my head, I wonder if he possibly could've known Katniss's reactions to my help offerings. I wonder if he might've underestimated her ability to hunt and to provide.

I figure that he must have. I'm sure he's never seen how bad her temper can get if you unknowingly judge her. And I'm almost positive that although he's seen her hunt, he's never seen her take down three squirrels, two birds, and a pheasant… _all through the eye._

Katniss POV

The normal nightmares along with some new ones plague me. I wake up screaming again. Prim rushes in just as I'm getting a grip and realizing that I'm okay and that Derain is… probably okay. It's not good enough for me though, I _need _to know.

Quickly I'm out of bed, not caring about my aching muscles. I dress quickly, running about the house like a maniac. All the while Prim just watches in confusion. It's much too early to begin walking to school to watch the Games, but the giant screen in the Town Square is always on _and _gives a special 24/7 look at the tribute from our district.

I quickly explain where I'm going, and I tell her that I'll meet her at school. At first I'm reluctant to let her walk alone, but then I realize that nobody would hurt Prim. Besides, she'll probably find someone from the Seam to walk with. She's very social like that.

I grab my backpack even though I won't really need it, and I leave the house. I run the entire distance to the town, wishing that I would've checked the T.V. at home first so I wouldn't feel so worried. Then again, the television at home probably wouldn't get anything more than it did last night; nothing. The Capitol is cruel in that way, forcing us to watch at some moments, but restraining us in others.

I reach the Square struggling to regain my breath. Nobody else is there; dawn has just broken after all. I set my bag down in a nice patch of grass. I settle there and look to the screen. I'm pleased with what I see.

Derain has found a tree to sleep in. He's covered in a blanket-I'm guessing it is one that retains heat- and is sleeping peacefully. Well, just about as peacefully as you can sleep when you're in the Hunger Games.

The larger screen shows the Career pack sleeping in the Cornucopia surrounded by supplies and covered in layers of blankets. The only one who is awake is the girl from 1, Priscilla. She appears to be the one who is keeping watch. I laugh silently; like someone would dare attack the Career's camp…

I watch the screen, but also my surroundings. It's kind of interesting watching District 12 come alive. People walk outside their houses, most of which double as businesses. They turn the signs that hang in their windows from 'closed' to 'open.' Lights come on and people begin filtering through the street on their morning errands. Most pay no mind to me, some just cast me sad glances. I don't enjoy being looked at as if I were on the verge of tears.

The morning passes quickly and before I know it, the grand clock in the middle of town strikes 9:30. I can afford to wait until then to walk to school; it's a shorter walk than from the Seam, seeing as the school is located in town.

I wait outside the building for Prim to reach the school. I'm one of the first to be at the school and I receive more sad stares as the other early-birds realize where I've spent my morning. I brush it off.

* * *

**A/N: **First Gale POV of the book so far! :D I don't know, but I really love writing as Gale. It's just really fun ok. And I know the cliffhanger was kind of lame, y'all probably expected something a bit more dramatic. Oh well, I have more in mind for later chapters! By the way, if you caught the brief mentioning that Gale owed Derain something [That and the fact that I owe him.] and you were confused, don't worry. I'm going to elaborate on that a little later.

Thanks you all SO much for reading this far into the story. I don't even know how to thank y'all enough! (:

Chapter 12 should be up fairly soon, I just need to edit it!


	12. Quick End and a Good Friend

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 12:

Quick End and A Good Friend

After waiting for about half an hour, I'm starting to grow worried. What if something happened to Prim? Only a minute later she materializes out of the distance. I notice that she has acquired a walking partner. It's a boy that looks to be the same age as her, with the standard Seam looks. There's a faint resemblance between him and someone else...

Gale. That must be his little brother.

I'm glad to see that his family is surviving, but my slight happiness fades away as the pair comes closer. Before Prim sees me and comes running, I must hold back a shudder. The boy's cheeks are hollow and there are bags under his eyes. His bones are prominent underneath his hand-me-down clothing.

Then Prim has her arms around my waist in an embrace. I hug her back, but my mind is somewhere else. Gale's family and himself are slowly starving to death and it's still my fault. If I would've agreed to his partnership idea, he might not be in such bad shape. I still don't want to ally with him, but I have to do something. I don't know why, but I feel like I owe the boy for offering me help.

I come back to the present when I realize that Prim and the younger brother of Gale didn't make the trip alone. An even smaller boy is in the arms of none other than Gale. I try to avert my gaze, but somehow I can't help but gawk at the very skeletal form of the once handsome Gale Hawthorne.

Of course he's still very handsome even at the brink of starvation. It's just now he's so much thinner and weak looking. All of the muscle he'd had has been used up and now he is only skin and bones. The young boy in Gale's arms looks no better. I feel my heart breaking at Gale's failed attempts to feed his family. I _will _be doing something to help them.

I can't imagine what my facial feature is right now, but whatever it is can't be very good. I re-mask my face and meet Gale's eyes. He meets mine at the same time. Then he does something that shatters my heart even more. He smiles at me reassuringly.

Gale Hawthorne, the boy who's starving to death, trying hopelessly to feed his family, tried to help _me_, and keeps my illegal hunting a secret is trying to reassure _me_. I'm just some little girl who rejected his help and is the one of the reasons for his troubles. Furthermore, I'm basically still a stranger to him. And he's smiling to try to make me feel better.

We walk into the school, Prim and Rory, I've learned his name is, at the front. Gale and the younger boy, Vick, go alongside me. I can't stand to look at him anymore for fear that I'll break out in tears. Our entire walk to the cafeteria, I look to the ground, while I feel Gale's stare boring into my side. I sure hope I'm doing a good job at masking all of my guilt and sadness.

Prim and Rory make their way to the first grade tables and Gale leaves to drop Vick off with the kindergarteners. I reach the spot I'd sat in yesterday and settle there. I watch as Gale takes a seat at a crowded tenth grade table. Even in starvation he's social and popular…

It takes awhile for everyone else to file into the room and sit down. At last, the screens come to life with Caesar Flickerman welcoming the viewers again. Surprisingly the first camera shot shows Derain. He's woken up and is running. And running frantically.

My heart rate increases as I see what he's running from. Fire. A forest fire. A man made fire. Something that can only be the work of the Gamemakers.

I mentally urge Derain to run faster and to get away, but I can tell that it's a lost cause. He's running as fast as possible and he slows more and more with each passing minute. The fire is all around him and now the Gamemakers are hurling fireballs at him.

The blood is draining out of my face and I'm feeling incredibly sick. My heart almost beats out of my chest at what happens next. A fireball hits Derain directly in the calf, burning him severely. He cries out in agony and I can feel the tears welling in my wide eyes. I can't help it, my brother is _dying_!

I'm surprised that he doesn't stop running, given the amount of pain he must be in. It actually seems as if he's running even faster, some effect of adrenaline probably. Adrenaline numbs pain and strengthens your body, but only for a short while. Hopefully his adrenaline rush lasts until he can get away. I'm still praying that there is a way out.

His run continues on for a few agonizing minutes. I'm just waiting for the heartless Gamemakers to launch another fireball or something. Luckily, the only thing that comes to Derain is clean cool air and un-burnt forest.

Just as danger fades, his adrenaline rush expires. He collapses at the base of a tree, screaming in pain. The cameras zoom in on the wound and I almost gag at the sight of it.

It isn't as bad as some of the burns that my mother used to treat in her apothecary days, but it's not something as light as an oven stove. The skin is completely red around the burnt area. The burn itself is leaking blood and puss, and exposes muscle beneath his skin. It's going to take a hell of a lot of money to send him something to treat that. Money that he doesn't have.

I watch intently the rest of the morning. The camera's show Derain more than any of the other tributes, which I'm very happy for. He somehow managed to save the pack from the fire and digs through it hopelessly. All he finds to treat the wound is water and aloe. It's something at least.

When some of the pain subsides, he climbs into a very low branch of a tree and falls asleep from a mixture of pain and weakness. I pray that nobody will stumble upon him in his weak state.

He stays unconscious for the rest of the school day and the cameras shift to the Career pack who are hunting an unfortunate tribute.

The tribute is a small girl who reminds me of Prim with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She stands no chance, but still tries to fight back. When they've surrounded her, she throws stones and sticks at them. It's sad to think that if Prim were in the same situation, she'd be doing the same thing most likely.

The District 1 and 2 Careers laugh at her feeble attempt to fight, while Colton and Delilah sit back eying the girl sadly. I notice their intertwined hands. It's amazing how strong their love must be to stay intact through such terrible events.

The two twisted District 2 tributes throw knives and a spear at the helpless girl. One knife hits her directly in the heart, which kills her immediately. I know I'm right whenever I hear the boom of a cannon only a few seconds later.

Besides the death of the small Prim-like girl and the ordeal with the fire and Derain, nothing big happens during the day. The dismissal bell rings, but this time I'm waiting on it.

Since the live broadcast of the Games couldn't keep my attention, I've been formulating a plan to help Gale and his family. I need Prim to carry out the plan, so I quickly find her departing the first grade table.

I pull her aside, out of ear-shot of Rory, and begin to explain my plan. "Prim, I'm going to need your help with something; it's very, _very_ important that you listen closely and follow my exact words."

She nods her head and urges me to continue. "Rory's family is hungry, extremely hungry. They don't get enough food and they can't keep going on like that." Prim's expression changes to a look of worry and I continue, "I want to give them some of the game I get, but his older brother, Gale would never take it. That's where you come in, _if _you're up to it."

"Of course! I want to help them!" she quips, excited to help them.

I smile. "Okay, I'm going to need you to tell Rory that I can get food for his family. Tell him that he can take credit for it somehow. But you need to keep quiet around Gale, and we have to find a meeting spot where I can bring them the game."

Prim nods again and says quietly, "I'll tell him, but Gale needs to be distracted."

I gulp. I know that Gale needs to be distracted for Prim to explain the plan to Rory, but I _don't_ want to be the distracter. I guess I don't have a choice though…

This time I nod. Prim and I walk back to where Rory stands, now with Gale and Vick beside him. Prim rushes Rory to walk ahead with her. I know that if Gale is any sort of hunter, he'll still be able to hear them. This is where I must step up. I hesitantly look up to Gale who is walking right beside me. His face once again shatters my heart, but knowing that he'll be able to get better gives me strength to speak.

"Do you mind if I talk with you for a minute?" I choke out, trying to sound nonchalant. At first he looks surprised at my sudden words, but then he nods and puts Vick down, giving him a light push to catch up with Prim and Rory.

We stray behind the massive pool of students trying to get home. Finally he speaks, "What do you want to talk about?" I'm slightly hurt by the hint of annoyance in his voice, but I quickly get over it.

"I just want to apologize for not allying up with you," I say. I hope I sound genuinely sorry; I really am.

He doesn't meet my eyes, but instead looks to the sky. "Yeah," is all the response I get from him. I look at his face and see sadness.

I can't tell if he's trying to make me feel bad or make me feel like he doesn't care, but either way I can read how he's truly feeling. He's still disappointed that I didn't agree to be his hunting partner. "It wasn't because I don't want you as a hunting partner, just so you know."

Something is his expression changes, but I can't place what it is. "Then why didn't you?"

I reply truthfully, "I work better alone, unless it's Derain."

"Have you ever even tried an alliance with someone besides him?" he asked frustratedly. He really must've wanted me as his partner after all.

I bite my lip. I start off slowly, "No, but I know a partner of than him would only get in the way."

He continues looking frustrated at me. This had better not end up turning into another fight. "But how do you know?"

"Derain and I work in synchronization, something I couldn't do with anyone else. Unless I really got to know them. If I partnered with you I wouldn't have enough time to get to know you before Derain comes back. I'm positive that we couldn't have a 3-person hunting crew." I finish breathlessly. I'm trying desperately to keep our conversation from turning into a fight.

Gale's face softens. "What if he doesn't come back though?"

I lower my head. I can't afford to think like that, because Derain _will _come home alive. When I raise my head, I can see regret in Gale's eyes. He starts to apologize, but I silence him.

We slowly start walking again, an uncomfortable silence falls upon us. Finally he breaks the tension. "So you would've partnered with me if it was long term? If you had time to get to know me?" I nod.

"Yes, you do seem like you'd make a good hunting partner." A small smile forms on his lips and a ghost of one appears on my face. "I just think we'd get in each other's way until we got used to each other."

He continues smiling and we proceed walking. Again silence falls upon us, but this time all tension has left the air. He starts again; "How is your family?"

I'm happy that he brings it up, maybe he'll see that we can spare a little for him and his family. I doubt it though. "We're all doing well. I've been bringing in enough for us, plus extra."

Gale's expression changes again and I start to wonder if he's bipolar or something. Now he looks more jealous than anything else and just replies, "Oh."

We're nearing the Seam and I don't want to end the conversation on this note. I say, "I could give you something, if you'd like."

The jealousy fades and he returns to being calm and cool. It looks like he's actually thinking it over for a minute, but then replies, "No thanks, I don't like handouts." The cold edge to his voice is somewhat disheartening.

I share his feelings towards handouts so I don't press on the issue anymore. That and because for some reason, I want to spare his pride. Secretly I wish he would've agreed to let me give him something so I wouldn't have to carry out this sly plan.

Only a short distance away, I see Prim jogging back to where Gale and I are. She approaches up quickly and I can tell by her prideful grin that she succeeded in convincing Rory to go with my plan. She grabs my hand and I beam down at her with an extra amount of happiness. Quickly Gale parts ways with us towards his respective house. We do the same and we soon arrive at our own house.

As soon as we're inside, Prim bursts out happily, "I did it!"

I smile and congratulate her on her success. "So, what did Rory say, exactly?"

Sparing no time, she tells me about her entire conversation with him: "He said that you could bring the food by around 5 p.m., 'cause that's when Gale goes out. He said that he's gonna convince Gale that he does yard work for one of his friends' named Toby. Oh I hope this works Katniss!"

The probability that this scheme will be successful is pretty good, so I'm able to respond truthfully, "Of course it will, Little Duck!"

The rest of the evening goes by without incident. I go hunting around 6 o'clock, hoping to avoid Gale. Since I'll be delivering a portion of my game to the Hawthornes the next day, I hunt for an extra amount of time and bring in more than usual.

I stay out until it starts to really get dark. I make a quick trip to the Hob and trade the game I shot for Gale's family for a few coins. Saying that Rory traded labor for fresh game would look a little suspicious, unalike from trading work for coins. Besides, the coins would mean more options for all of them.

Once I'm sure I have enough to give to Rory tomorrow, I head home. It's pitch black when I exit the Hob and I have difficulty seeing anything at all. Before heading in the direction of the Seam, I walk to the screen that displays the Hunger Games.

This entire day I've been preoccupied with supporting Gale's family, I all but forgot about my own brother! What if something's happened to him? What if the Careers found him? What if somehow, his burn killed him? My heart beat rapidly and I quicken my pace.

When I arrive in front of the screen, my breathing regulates once more. Derain is in a higher branch now and his wound has been wrapped in gauze. He must've received a sponsor gift! The Careers are a while away, at a small clearing in the middle of the woods. Except now, there are two fewer of them… Colton and Delilah are gone.

The list of dead and alive shows that they are still alive, so they must have disassembled from the rest of the Career pack. Maybe they are finally tired of being cruel killers.

The list also shows that only eight tributes remain. I look down the list of those children who are alive. They are:

Derain, District 12

Bryla, District 10

Woodrick, District 7

Delilah, District 4

Colton, District 4

Andre, District 2

Farrah, District 2

Priscilla, District 1

I sigh in relief; one of the Careers has been killed off. As it happens, it was one of the more dangerous look ones too, Dagger, the District 1 male. However cruel it may be, I'm overjoyed at his fate. Whatever will help Derain come home, I'm entirely for.

After catching up on the day's events, I leave the town and find my way to the Seam. It's difficult to navigate, but I manage to find my home. When I walk in, I'm greeted by a shaken up Prim. The first thing out of my mouth is, of course, "What's wrong?"

She's breathless when she responds. "You've been gone for hours, Katniss!" She buries her face in my shoulder and begins to cry. I rub her back and try to reassure that everything is alright. "I…. was… just… so… worried!" she says between heart-breaking sobs.

"It's okay," I say repeatedly, until she finally stops crying. "I hunted longer and traded the game for some coins. I even stopped to see how Derain was doing." At that, her eyes go wide and I can tell that her mind was in places other than the arena today as well.

"What happened? What happened?" she squeaks worriedly.

"He's fine, he managed to patch up his burn! And there are only eight left!" I say happily.

She looks up at me, all of her sadness vanishing quickly. I lead her to the kitchen table and begin to cook a plump squirrel for a late dinner. As I do this, Prim tells me about her day, like she used to before the awful mine accident.

When we are finished, I send Prim to my mother's room and I head to the small wash room. I wash up a little, not wanting to go to bed dirty. When I finally make it into bed its past 11 o'clock. As soon as I'm under the covers, I'm drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N: **Good God, this has gotta be the longest chapter yet! It took forever to write, and luckily, it focuses mostly on Galeniss (the acquaintance aspect.) Hopefully every chapter you guys will start to see them getting closer and more friendly with each other. At least, that's my goal. That and to keep the plot of the Games alive!

As always, THANK YOU to readers, reviewers, followers, and favoriters! Expect 13 to be up later this week!

Oh, and if you're into to Peeta-Katniss fanfics, or you just like romantic, cutesy stories, go check out my story '100 Years!' Even though I don't ship Peenis, I LOVED writing this one! It's based on the song '100 Years' by Five for Fighting, but it kind of has a twist at the end. Go check it out if you want! Thank you. (:


	13. Terrifying Replays

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 13:

Terrifying Replays

When I wake, it's of my own volition. Not by Prim shaking me, but by the mental alarm that's been programmed into my brain. Faint light filters into the room as I crawl out of bed; it's only around 6 a.m.

Despite coming home with a very full game bag yesterday, I can't help but feel that I didn't get enough money for Gale's family. Hunting and getting a few more coins couldn't hurt.

I leave for the forest a few minutes later. Another two or three hours later, I return home with more coins and some berries. I fetch Prim and we walk off to school, meeting Rory, Vick, and Gale somewhere along the way.

School offers nothing remotely different from the past week. We all take our seats in the cafeteria and the screen comes to life. Instead of showing the conditions of the remaining tributes, the day starts out with flashbacks to yesterday.

The fire that injured Derain, along with the death of the small, Prim-like girl are the only monumental things I saw happen yesterday, so I'm curious to watch the replay. After getting through the two events that I'd seen already, I watch more intently. The first thing they show is the Career split up:

They're walking, all six of them. Dagger and Andre lead the group, closely trailed by Farrah. Priscilla, Colton, and Delilah fall back, just a little. The scenery around them is beginning to become somewhat similar to something I've seen before… but what?

Oh yeah, it was that place where Derain was. No big deal.

I know that the way my heart beats faster is unneeded, as I know that Derain is perfectly safe; I can't stop my increased heart rate, however. The Careers soon approach Derain's camp and they see him immediately. Luckily, he sees them first.

An arrow is launched from Derain's metal bow and about a second later, is lodged in Dagger's skull with a sickening _crack_. He falls still only a minute later. Before they know what even happened, Derain is loading another arrow into his bow. Unfortunately, the intended target, Andre, moves out of the way just in time to avoid a fatal shot. Instead, the arrows hit's him in the stomach; it still causes a massive amount of damage, given the depth of the blow.

The District 2 girl drops to her knees beside the two fallen boys. Her move is out of shock, not compassion; she roughly shoves Andre until he sits up. All the while, Derain has climbed from his perch and is limping away.

Farrah screams for Colton and Delilah to run after him; they oblige unwillingly. They chase Derain and soon catch up to him. My heart rate only increases and I begin to wonder if what I'd seen the previous even was only an illusion. Luckily for both Derain and I, I was completely right about the two District 4 tributes; they aren't heartless.

They corner him easily and Derain looks ready to fight. Sensing that Derain is a fighter, the couple raises their hands signaling that they mean no harm. Delilah tosses a small white bag with the words 'first aid' over to Derain. At first, he stares at it, but then seems to understand what it is. He mouths, "Thank you," as Colton motions for him to run.

What the incredibly generous and gracious pair didn't realize was that Priscilla saw the entire thing. After watching her 'allies' give away supplies to the competition, she sprinted back to where Farrah was cleaning up Andre's wound. "They're traitors!" she whispered feverishly.

Farrah looked beyond pissed at the outburst. "Shut up, brat." It looks like she wouldn't hesitate to break the girl's neck.

"She gave that fucking boy a first aid kit and let him walk away!" Priscilla replies. She seems fearful, but cocky.

Although Farrah openly dislikes the girl that stands before her, she see's that she's telling the truth somehow. Farrah stands and pulls out a terrifyingly large knife that she must intend to use on the District 4 'traitors'.

A few minutes later, Delilah and Colton make their way back to the group. They pretend to seem disappointed and claim that he was too quick and dangerous. Of course Farrah sees that this is bullshit and she gets poised to throw the dagger.

Upon realizing Farrah's intentions, the couple runs off. Farrah has no plan to let them off so easily, however, for she pursues a chase. The chase ends when Farrah releases her deadly knife and it impales Delilah's upper back, close to her neck. Once the knife reaches its destination, Farrah stops and lets the two go.

Throughout the afternoon yesterday, Delilah had gotten much worse. Andre, however, was recovering far too quickly. Derain established a camp far from where he encountered the Careers.

After the flashback, the cameras turn to the scene of a dying Delilah and a grieving Colton. It tugs on my heart a little; these kids could've had a happy future together if the Games hadn't snatched them both.

The day persists on, updating the status of each of the remaining tributes. By midday the three remaining Careers are hunting the District 10 girl, Bryla. She's 17, but very small. Andre has no trouble tackling her and impaling her with his spear. Her death is instantaneous, according to the loud cannon.

A few minutes later, another cannon fires; it's Delilah's. The camera flashes to a heavily sobbing Colton. The profuse crying lasts only a few minutes before a hovercraft picks up Delilah's lifeless body, leaving Colton alone. Soon after, he replaces his sadness and grief with something else; anger.

His eyes light up and a spark ignites to a full flame. "I'll get her, Del! For you! Farrah, you bitch, you're dead!" Tears roll down his cheek, but revenge resides in his eyes. I dearly hope that he gets what he wants.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, nothing much happens. With only six tributes left, the end is nearing. Derain's homecoming will be in only a few days! Then we'll never have to worry about starving again! We'll live in wealth, not poverty; what a positive change it will be!

Soon, the dismissal bell rings. I retrieve Prim and Rory. Vick makes his way to us, but I notice the absence of Gale. I look for him amongst the other tenth graders and find him easily. He's walking _very close_ alongside some girl.

Her outfit is very clad and revealing, and I notice quickly that Gale's hand is lingering just over her backside…

* * *

**A/N: **Woah, what a nice cliffie, right? Ahahah it's awful and cruel and surprising, but I just had to give Katniss a good reason to get angry at Gale. It's all part of my master plan! After all, you don't easily forget about people who make you so mad that you could just... well, you'll see just how angry she is in the next chapter! This one was kind of just setting up the next two chapters, so if it was kind of boring, I apologize.

Stay-tuned for 14 and infinite 'thank you's' to everyone!


	14. Priorities

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 14:

Priorities

The sight is so shocking to me and I immediately feel the need to shoot something. I can't believe this _bastard_! He's going out to have _sex _while his family is starving? What the fuck!

I begin to see red, but before I can damage anything-one- I run from the cafeteria. Once I'm out of the school, I try to calm myself. I follow my father's advice from so long ago; _"When you feel uncontrollably angry, sit for a moment. Take deep breaths and think of something positive. If you need to, hit something, not someone. It's an Everdeen trait, Katniss. Don't let it get the best of you." _

I start taking deep breaths and I focus on good things; Derain coming home soon, my family being fed, Gale's family being fed. _Gale_. I walk to the nearest tree and release my anger. After punching the oh-so innocent tree, I feel some of the anger subsiding. I can attribute most of that to my throbbing knuckle, however.

I look to my left hand, seeing the extent of the damage; my knuckles are beginning to bruise, there are minor breaks in the skin of my fingers, and my wrist feels numb. Great, another thing to worry about.

I turn around, hoping that nobody was a witness to my sudden fury. Luckily, I'm alone, at least until Prim comes bounding out of the back door of the school, Rory and Vick right behind her. "Katniss!" she exclaims when she sees the mess I've made of my hand. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just punched a tree," I say trying to keep from wincing as she grabs my hand.

She realizes my discomfort immediately. "Sorry! But why'd you do that?"

I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to explain the sick situation to Prim, who's only eight after all. Luckily she doesn't press on it anymore, but only insists that I let her fix the wound up; I agree.

Back at home, time goes much too slowly for me. Prim has forced me to stay home, saying that hunting would just result in more damage to my fractured hand. There's nothing to do besides hunting, so I just sit in the kitchen flipping through a plant identification book while my left hand sits atop an ice block.

Finally, the clock strikes 5 o'clock and I'm able to get out of the house for my mission. Since I have absolutely no idea where the Hawthornes live, I bring Prim. I stow the coins in a small bag and follow Prim through the Seam.

After a few minutes, Prim leads me up the steps of a larger, but still Seam-like house. She knocks on the door and it is quickly opened by a middle-aged women who I assume is Mrs. Hawthorne. "Hello," I greet shyly. I've yet to know if she's been informed of my sneaky plan.

"Hi hun," she says with a smile. "I guess Rory was telling the truth after all." Mrs. Hawthorne, Hazelle, she soon tells me, invites Prim and I into the house. It has a distinct smell of wood smoke and cinnamon, something that suits the atmosphere of the house perfectly.

The walls are filled with painted pictures and a few photographs. A few worn chairs, a fireplace, and a television, similar to our own, reside in the moderate sized living room. It's cozy and homey here, even to a stranger. How pleasant it must be to walk into such a friendly atmosphere every day, not a dismal one like at my own home.

Hazelle leads us to a couch and we both hesitantly sit. I look around for any sign of Gale, but as if she can hear my unspoken fears, Hazelle says, "He hasn't come home yet. I guess he went straight from school to the woods."

I smile slightly to hide my angry grimace and begin to explain to Hazelle more about my plan. She agrees happily, but forces us to allow her to do my family's laundry for free. She is the washwoman of the Seam, who does most of the laundry and other house work for those who cannot do it for themselves.

I take out seven coins, enough to feed the entire family, plus more. It should buy them enough to have a decent sized feast.

After receiving several 'thank yous' from Hazelle and Rory, Prim and I depart. Along the way, we see Gale striding home, looking _pleased_. I feel a new surge of anger, but I'm able to restrain myself. After all, Prim is right beside me, holding my good hand.

Gale glances towards us and fixes a stare upon me. I notice however that he doesn't keep my eyes. Instead his fascination is directed towards my bandaged hand. He looks to my eyes with curiosity imminent, but I pay him no mind. I'm still beyond pissed at him and this time he won't be forgiven so easily.

Prim and I are back home by 6 o'clock and I fix a small dinner. At around 7, I decide to walk to the Square in case anything monumental has happened in the Games. The Square is crowded, n oddity unless something big has happened. And when I look to the screen, something big _has _happened.

* * *

**A/N: **Oooh, a cliffie! I just love them! So, as you can see, this chapter is fairly short compared to the others. 15 is even shorter actually. Because of that, I'll be uploading 15 sometime tomorrow morning. Then I won't upload again till probably Monday or Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest.

And just a quick little note, 16 is REALLY action packed. So stay-tuned for it! (:

Oh, I also realize that what Gale did in this chapter is probably really OOC. I thought it would be kind of an interesting twist, so just try to play along!

Thanks to EVERYONE once again!


	15. Here I Come, Love

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 15:

Here I Come, Love

I look to the screen as an epic battle proceeds; Colton versus Farrah and Andre. Colton has followed through with his revengeful plan, and he seems to be succeeding with it as well.

Andre is lying unconscious on the ground, likely a result of some sort of head injury. Farrah and Colton are dueling, sword to club. After minutes of watching the two do battle, Colton gets a good blow to Farrah's shoulder, causing her to fall and drop her malicious sword. Colton wastes no time and picks up the weapon and points it directly at Farrah's heart.

"You shattered my heart, you cruel bitch," he starts thickly, in an emotion-filled voice. "So I'm gonna slice yours right open. Let's see if you feel it, after all, you sick Careers _are _heartless aren't you?"

My mouth goes dry and I can't help when my heart goes out for the boy who is trying to avenge his lost love. Farrah's reaction is one of pure horror and she immediately tries to escape. It's pointless though, for by the time she's balanced on her elbows, the sword has sliced into her chest.

Farrah lets out a blood-curdling scream, but soon falls silent. Colton wipes the blood the spewed out of Farrah's wound off of his face and let's his tears fall. Quietly, barely even loud enough for the high-tech Capitol cameras to catch, Colton says something; "I'll be there in a minute, Love." And then he ever so precisely slits his wrist and waits to bleed out.

* * *

**A/N: **Lord, this is overdue by weeks. Really sorry, I've been really busy and I got locked off of my laptop for like a week. It was hell. Ok, this is the shortest chapter ever EVER, so 16 will be up tomorrow when I get off of school. Again, I'm SO sorry, I feel really bad because it's been SO long and I probably should've been up to chapter 20 by now. I promise I'LL GET THERE and I'LL GET THERE SOON.

Thanks to everyone for their loyalty!

Oh yeah, did anyone else hear about Tumblr being sold to Yahoo? Yeah, I'm sad, so if I seem sad, THAT'S WHY OMG ASDFGHJKL #DEAD.


	16. Dreaming Death

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 16:

Dreaming Death

Only four tributes remain now; Derain, Andre, Priscilla, and the District 7 boy. I can't believe it, Derain's in the final four! All he has to do is finish off Andre, and take care of Priscilla and District 7! He can win this!

The few minutes that I continue to watch the Games don't hold my attention. Andre stirs a little while Priscilla nurses him, after coming out of the hiding spot she resided in during the fight, that is. District 7 wanders the forest, growing weak from hypothermia. Derain gazes at the night sky from a high branch in a pine tree.

I leave the Square and return home before the darkness completely blinds me. Upon arriving back home, Prim applies ice to my hand and changes the gauze. I sharpen a few of my knives and continue reading through one of my father's old books before I decide to head to bed.

The next morning I wake early, just as the very first rays of light pour into my room. Some stony feeling in my gut is telling me that something big is going to happen today and that I need to be prepared. Luckily, I know that my preparations will include moving and being fed a grand dinner, not grieving over a dead sibling. Today will be the day that Derain wins these damn games.

Before I know it, Prim and I are walking hurriedly to the Square for the mandatory viewing. Gale, Rory, and Vick meet us just before we exit the Seam. Prim, Rory, and Vick carry on a conversation and I can hear the worried excitement in Prim's voice. I refuse to look up to Gale, but I feel his eyes boring a hole in my back. It's an uncomfortable feeling so I quicken my already brisk pace.

We reach the Town quickly and are swept to the front of the already massive crowd. The screen is already alive and I look to the list of remaining tributes, hoping that another may have perished. By my luck, there is indeed one fewer tribute; the District 7 boy died of hypothermia. It's down to the final three.

The camera shows that Derain is on the move, most likely hoping to end this quickly. Priscilla supports a weak and vulnerable Andre as they walk towards the Cornucopia. The three all walk for a long time and cover a great distance. When they are each less than a mile away from the Cornucopia, the Gamemakers decide to bring a little more excitement to the finale. This sick excitement comes in the form of mutts.

The mutts are huge and bloodthirsty. Their eyes are scarlet red and they are equipped with claws and teeth as sharp as knives. Most importantly, they are _fast_. And they certainly use this to their advantage, as they approach Derain and the duo quickly.

Derain continues to run faster and finally breaks into the clearing, the home of the Cornucopia. He slings his arrow onto his back as he runs, but it becomes unattached and falls to the ground. Instead of retrieving the fallen weapon, Derain only runs faster and begins to climb to the top of the great metal horn. Unfortunately, his agility isn't enough to escape the mutt's wrath. As he climbs, one mutt lunges for his leg and sinks its teeth in. Derain cries in pain and my heart plummets to my stomach.

My breathing becomes labored, as does everyone else's in the district. No one says a word as my brother yells in pain and clings to the edge of the Cornucopia for dear life. I try valiantly to blink back tears, with temporary success. When I notice Prim who is shaking and crying, I scoop her up and try to assuage her grief; Derain isn't done yet.

After a few agonizing moments, Derain shows how strong and tough he is once more. He pulls free of the mutts grasp and plops down on the roof of the Cornucopia. He's remotely safe there, at least for now.

But his slight safety doesn't last for long before another person emerges from the thick foliage. It's Priscilla. She must've left behind Andre, a wise move considering he was close to death anyways. She sprints towards the Cornucopia and is quickly atop it. I feel anger burning inside of me; the Gamemakers are favoring her to win.

Of course they would do that. The almighty Capitol can never be shown up by a lowly district like us. Of course they would want this spoiled rotten District 1 girl to win.

Any hope that I'd retained is fading as Priscilla approaches my disadvantaged brother. She pulls a dagger from her belt and I feel my heart shattering. I see the end coming near, but Derain remains optimistic and strong. He stands up somehow and tackles the small girl to the ground, causing her to drop her weapon. I can see how badly they both want to win; I just hope that Derain's persistence pays off.

For a few solid minutes, my confidence returns steadily, but nervously. Although small, Priscilla is a fighter. Luckily, Derain is a much stronger, tougher, and experienced fighter. He continues throwing punches that the small girl cannot dodge. I can seem the immense guilt in his eyes, but his desperation for victory is enough to overpower his heart.

Needless to say, it looks as if he will come out on top; Priscilla has been badly beaten by Derain and is barely holding onto consciousness. Once Derain is sure that there is no way that she could attack him again, he crawls off of her limp body, awaiting his winning announcement.

He turns the opposite direction and crinkles his nose and brows in faint disgust. Whether it's towards the girl or himself, I'll never know. He looks to the sky, which has now begun to darken into dusk. The holographic sky is clear, peaceful, and I let a smile graze my face.

Derain has won. He's beat all of the odds, he's beat everything. He did it. Now all he needs is the cannon and the announcement, and his victory will be sealed.

But after a few short minutes, Derain and I both realize that the announcement will not come. But by the time Derain realizes this, it's too late. Quick as a flash, Priscilla's previously lost weapon has been lodged in the back of his neck. Then his lower back. Derain turns around in utter shock and then it becomes lodged in his chest, where it remains. And then the Games end with the tell-tale cannon. "We are proud to give you the victor of the 70th annual Hunger Games, Priscilla Delaroux of District 1!" She gives a faint smile from where she's fallen just behind Derain and is retrieved by a hovercraft within a few moments. All the while, Prim shrieks hysterically and I stare mindlessly at the screen.

Derain's body lies motionless on the cold floor of the Cornucopia, blood pooling around it. It looks out of place and I begin to wonder whether I'm dreaming. I conclude that I must be.

"Derain?" I say feebly, just before I black out.

* * *

**A/N: **IT HAPPENED AHH. THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN EXPECTING AND DREADING. Just to let y'all know, it killed me to write this. Seriously, Derain was awesome. Butttttttttt, it had to be done. Okay, I'll be updating again this week, so stay-tuned for the aftermath of Derain's death. There's a lot of Gale in it. (;


	17. Deals to Distract

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 17:

Deals to Distract

"Wake up."

…

"Katniss, wake up. Please."

…

"Dammit, Katniss, please wake up!"

…

"Come on, please open your eyes!"

…

"Please…"

The worried shouting directed at me begins to fade into a more desperate plea, so I begin to stir. I open my eyes and take in my surroundings.

I'm in my home, lying in my small bed. Somewhere in the distance, I hear profuse sobbing coming from my sister and a soothing male voice. Probably Rory.

Wait, why is Rory here and why is Prim sobbing?

Why am I in bed? Why did I faint?

And why the _fuck _is Gale Hawthorne in my bedroom, sitting on my bed?

I bolt upright, which causes an extreme amount of discomfort to my neck and back. "What the hell are you doing here?" I ask incredulously.

Gale looks shocked, as an understatement. He quickly recovers however and replies; "You fainted at school and I had to carry you home."

My mouth gapes. He had to _carry _me home? Gale Hawthorne, the boy that _I w_as supposed to be helping, had to carry me for miles from town back to my house?

"I'm sorry," I say slightly embarrassed and regretful. I don't know how I would've kept from fainting, but maybe giving more thought to the aftermath would have heightened my resolve. I can't figure out, why did I faint in the first place?

I very briefly contemplate asking Gale, but then it hits me. It's Derain. Something happened to him. Something in the Games, something awful. But what was it.

"Katniss," Gale starts.

Instead of responding to him, I continue to be mute, engulfed in thought.

What was it that happened to Derain during the Games that made me faint? Did he get injured badly? Did he brutally kill another tribute? Did he…

I deny it immediately. There is no possible way that Derain could have… died. It just couldn't have happened.

"Katniss?"

I mean, there were only two fucking tributes left! That little bitch from 1 and Derain. God knows that she couldn't leave a mark on Derain.

_"The winner of the 70__th__ Annual Hunger Games is…"_

How could she hurt him? No, actually, she couldn't hurt him, what am I thinking? No, I'm crazy for even thinking that Derain could be dead at her hands.

"_Priscilla Delaroux of District 1!" _

How could she have murdered him?! How?! This couldn't have fucking happened!

"Is he?" I question, trying to keep the acid and worry out of my tone.

Gale waits a moment to reply. Finally, he nods his head, confirming my impossible worst fear.

Instantaneously, I begin to feel the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. It isn't long after that that I begin to feel them rolling down my cheeks. I hate myself more and more every time I feel another one sliding down my face. How can I cry in front of the boy who I'm trying to help? How can I be so weak?

Derain is dead, and my foolish, silly tears won't bring him back. I stop abruptly (which startles Gale; I guess he expected a meltdown or something) and I begin to get up.

"Where are you going?" he asks curiously.

I don't answer him. Instead, I decide that if he cares, he'll follow me to find out.

I walk out of my home, feeling both light and heavy. A part of me feels light as though I don't have to worry and stress for Derain anymore; he's in a much better place now. The other part is very heavy and dark. It reminds me that although Derain does not have to face the struggles of life, I do. And they will be much harder than before for me.

I reach the fence in no time, as I lightly jogged most of the way. I slide under easily, and then I look behind me. Sure enough, Gale is there. His face reveals curiosity and worry. I don't look to him for very long; I know that if he's followed me this far, following me for a bit longer won't be anything to worry about.

The forest is just how I remember it from yesterday, green and wet, with life everywhere. It takes no time for me to find the hollow tree in which I store my bow and arrows, as well as Derain's. I grab mine quickly, but I linger for a moment.

Derain is dead, and he has no use for his bow anymore. I surely can't use it for anything so I decide there's only one useful thing to do with it.

I turn and it's no surprise that Gale is still there. He leans against a tree, still looking both curious and worried.

"How do you feed your family?" I ask him calmly.

He looks taken aback for a moment, but recovers quickly. "I set snares, then I hope for the best."

That explains a lot. No wonder he doesn't bring home enough game for his family. Relying on snares is fine for a small family, perhaps like mine now, but not for a large family like his. I sigh and pull out the other bow.

At first, he looks astonished, but then he looks slightly angered. "No." is all he says.

For some reason, I smile grimly at that. His attitude of taking handouts reminds me of both Derain and myself. I try to imagine myself in his situation. I would never accept the offer, so I decide to make him give me something in return.

"If you teach me how to set snares, I'll give you this bow and teach you how to shoot it."

Gale stays silent, trying to debate whether to take my offer or not. He would be insane not to. In another minute of deep thinking, he holds out his hand. I reach out to shake it, but he quickly pulls back.

Before I can question him, he says, "One condition."

"What's that?"

He gives a sheepish smile and continues. "Can we at least _try _to be partners? I swear, if we both want to kill each other at the end of the day, we can drop it, but can we just try it?"

This earns a small smile which I quickly try to hide. I shake his hand; "It's a deal."

* * *

**A/N: **Wah-lah! Yay Katniss and Gale are starting to form an alliance :D Ok so I'm in a really giddy mood because my day has been really good and I just read an article about Liam and Jen flirting at a party, so idk, but I'm probably gonna go on a major writing spree tonight! Dunno when the next update will be, expect it somewhere around Wednesday or Thursday!

Thanks to everyone! :D R&R!


	18. Caught by Thoughts

Learning to Thrive

Chapter 18

Caught by Thoughts

For a few minutes after our deal, Gale and I arrange a time and spot in which to meet at for our lessons. We decide on a small rock in a clearing not too far from my storage tree. Tomorrow after school (for Gale, anyways. I decide that it might be good to wait a few days to go back) the lessons will begin.

After deciding on the time and place, Gale and I sit in a comfortable silence. I feel my hatred for him evaporating extremely quickly, but I still don't completely trust him. Earning my trust takes a great deal of time.

Finally, Gale rises. "I'm going back to your house to check on Rory and your sister. You should go too."

Prim.

Oh shit, I'd completely forgotten about her! What the hell is wrong with me? How could I _abandon _ my grieving baby sister, and for Gale Hawthorne of all people?

"God dammit," I mutter under my breath. I stow away my bow and arrows, as well as Gale's new bow and begin to trudge back along the path to the fence.

This trip, Gale walks beside me, not behind me. I'm careful to stay a decent distance away from him. I don't want to resemble that slutty girl that he met up with a few days ago.

We make it back to my house a little after dark. It's so much easier to navigate the Seam with another person. As soon as we enter my home, we hear the sobbing and the quiet, tired voice.

I lead Gale back the hallway into my mother and Prim's room. There, Prim lies curled in a ball crying. She must be tired, because her cries have become much quieter and weaker. Rory sits on a chair next to Prim's place. He whispers mindless reassurances to her, but I find it sweet anyway.

On the other side of the mattress, lies my mother. She has almost the entire cover wrapped around herself and she makes no sound. I vaguely wonder if she's trying to asphyxiate herself, but I decide that the blanket is too light to suffocate her.

With my presence, Rory quickly stands from his place and walks to Gale's side. Looking at the two Hawthorne boys, I see their strong resemblance. I also notice how tired and hungry they look.

"Thank you… _both _so much for looking after Prim and I," I start. Rory nods his head and smiles curtly, while Gale smiles much more genuinely. "I think we'll be fine now, but please, take some food. You've both probably missed dinner."

Gale looks skeptical at first, but I quickly nudge him on the shoulder and remind him quietly, "If we're gonna be a team, we need to learn to give and accept."

With that, he half-heartedly agrees. I lead him and Rory back out into the kitchen. I give them each an apple, a squirrel (wrapped and preserved), as well as some berries for Posy and Vick, maybe even Hazelle if she would oblige.

Rory and Gale both look extremely grateful and overwhelmed by the food that I'd given them each. A ghost of a small lights my face. It feels nice to help people. Of course I do it enough in selling fresh game to the Hob, but giving food directly to someone in need. That feeling is a lot nicer.

With another 'thank you', both boys are off into the evening dark and I'm left to a silent, cold house.

I walk back into my mother and Prim's room with another blanket and drape it over Prim. I don't hear her crying any longer, so I can assume that she is sleeping, soundly enough. I walk around to the other side of the bed where my mother is, and I untangle her from the mass of sheets.

She is indeed breathing and sleeping, just like Prim is only a few inches away. I drape the blanket over her and hope that she doesn't get tangled in it like before. With that, I depart the room.

My own room is very cold, very bare. There is only a pillow and one thin sheet on my bed now. Luckily, the evenings of autumn usually aren't too cold.

Despite the bearable weather, I feel a chill run down my spine at the sight of the empty bed in the corner of the room. I feel another when I finally realize that it will remain empty.

I walk mindlessly over to my bed and lie down. I bring my knees up to my chest and pull my only sheet up over my head.

My own thoughts plague me for a while. They nag at my brain and eat away at my heart. Somewhere in the midst of my thoughts, I must've begun to cry. My crying is almost silent, so I don't wake Prim, but just loud enough for me to hear my own quiet whimpers. The tears roll down my cheeks quickly and they begin to dampen my pillow. It's uncomfortable, but I can't find it in me to move or do anything.

I think of Derain and all of our memories. All of the mornings and afternoons we spent in the woods, hunting and gathering. All of the things that he taught me about plants, animals, and shooting. All of the times we would laugh at our own stupid mistakes, and how we would never let each other live them down. All of everything we did, because every time I was near Derain, I felt happy and like I actually had a friend, a _partner._

I also think of Derain's time in the arena. I hope that any pain he endured was very short-lived. I hope he didn't feel guilty about killing that boy from District 1.

I also hope that he didn't suffer before he died. I hope it was quick and painless. I hope and pray for that, because Derain doesn't deserve to die in such a terrible way.

Finally, I think to the future. I feel my heart beating fast, as I finally understand the full weight of my situation. There will be no more Derain, no more dad, no more help of any kind except for Gale. And his help won't exactly be 'help' until I'm familiar with the way he hunts. For a while, I think we'll mostly just be getting in each other's way. That means that besides the small amount of assistance that he offers me, I will be all alone.

I guess that I'm pretty lucky. My family isn't very large. There are only three of us, and I'd be more than happy to give a meal to ensure that Prim ate well. Mother hasn't eaten well since dad's death anyways, and I'm sure losing Derain won't help that case at all. Basically, we only need enough to feed two and a half, if that.

It doesn't sound like a lot of work to be done, but considering that there are three meals in a day, and winter is approaching rather quickly, it will be a struggle to get enough for everybody. Especially now since I've agreed to help Gale. His family is much larger, and I suspect that I'll be helping him a great deal more than he'll be helping me.

I don't really mind helping him. I have a good feeling that we'll have a partnership similar to Derain and I's eventually. But nothing will ever replace it fully. Nothing will ever completely mimic the bond and perfect synchronization that our partnership had.

There's another of the endless things that I miss.

I don't know when this awful feeling of loss and grief will pass. I don't know when I'll begin looking back to the memories and smiling instead of crying. But for the sake of my family and Gale's family, I hope it's soon.

After my thoughts, it doesn't take more than a minute to drift into a light, dream-filled sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, it's been an entire month since I updated. I don't really know what to say, except I've hit a brick wall with this story. Lately I've been struggling to come up with good ideas for where I want this story to go. I really like this story and I want to continue it, but I'm lacking ideas and motivation. I have four more chapters I've already written which I'll be adding soon, but after that, I dunno where this story is headed. I promise that I'll keep at it and try to come up with new ideas! :)

In the meantime, I've written two other one-shots to kill the time while thinking of new ideas. They are 'My Everything' and 'Four Months.' Both are Galeniss, so if you're interested, check them out. (:

Also, I've decided that I wanna start replying to reviews! I'll start with the reviews from Chapter 17!

To: Ellenka, Multifandomnerd, and really good: Thanks for reviewing! And I know, I'm really excited to write about their partnership! (:

To: Guest: I agree that Katniss would be really closed off after Derain's death. Some of her grief is captured in this chapter and it evolves in chapters to come. The reasoning for her slightly light and nonchalant attitude in the end of Chapter 17 and the beginning of Chapter 18 is due to the shock and the numbness people often feel directly after a tragedy ensues. Thank you for reviewing and I totally see where you were coming from. (:

Thank you all **so much **as always! Reviews are greatly appreciated, but if you just want to read, that's fine. (:


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